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MACROMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES
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Research effort is devoted in our laboratory to the study of polyelectrolyte complexes (polysaccharide - polypeptide and polysaccharide - polysaccharide ) in solution. In particular cases charge interactions are modulated by other intervening factors such as stereochemical characteristics of the macromolecular species participating to the complexation. |
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Polysaccharide - polypeptide complexes can be envisaged as models for natural existing polyelectrolyte complexes and also used for up-to-date therapeutic approaches such as gene therapy.
In collaboration with Dr. A. Malovikova (Slovack Academy of Science) we are carrying out an investigation focussed on the conformational behaviour of a polysaccharidic chain (pectate) when interacting with a synthetic polypeptide (polylysine). |
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The study of the structure of glucomannans from different sources (vegetal and microbial) can give a clue in the understanding of the mode of interaction, responsible for the formation of physical hydrogels, of this family of polysaccharides with other microbial polysaccharides , namely xanthan and gellan. This interaction is modulated by the distribution of the glucose and mannan residues in glucomannan chain. We are involved in a research project for studying the influence of the structural chemical composition on the binding process and to study the state of water in physical and chemical hydrogels based on glucomannans or their derivatives. |