Synthetic peptides use the force to influence cell survival

(Phys.org) —Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are an emerging class of molecules that can be designed for novel therapies in advanced medicine. They are designed with structural regions that allow them to spontaneously assemble into large complex structures like nanofibers (fibers with diameters of approximately 10 nanometers). Researchers in this study investigated how positively charged PAs interact with cells when water-hating properties and hydrogen bonding (a force that holds the nanofibers together) are altered. Using the BioCARS beamline 14-BM-C at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source (APS) to collect data, they evaluated forces within the biological assemblies.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-05-synthetic-peptides-cell-survival.html