Bubbles Collide in Self-Assembly; Flexibility is Key (VIDEO)
Caption
Researchers at Princeton University used molecular simulations to look at how two surfaces come together, which happens during the self-assembly of biological molecules such as drug receptors. As the two surfaces come near to each other, their water-repelling (hydrophobic) nature triggers fluctuations in the number of water molecules in the gap, causing the water to evaporate and form into bubbles on the surfaces. The bubbles grow as more water molecules evaporate. Eventually two bubbles on either surface connect to form a gap-spanning tube, which expands and pushes away any remaining water until the two surfaces collide. The study found that the flexibility of the two surfaces is a key factor in how fast this process occurs.
Credit
Courtesy of Y. E. Altabet and P. D. Debenedetti, Princeton University.
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Courtesy of Y. E. Altabet and P. D. Debenedetti, Princeton University.
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