Function of biomolecules as a probe for studying the effects of organic co-solvents on their conformations

Abstract Conformation changes associated with the function of biomolecules can bring out variations of the extent and specific structure of their hydrophobic areas exposed to solvent, with consequent local rearrangements of the solvent. This is one of the channels through which the solvent exerts its role in the functional equilibria of biomolecules. The function of biological macromolecules in perturbed aqueous solvent can therefore be a suitable probe for studying the response of macromolecule-solvent systems to perturbations caused by organic co-solvents. We shall discussed the effects that the presence of some monohydric alcohols and some amides in the aqueous medium have on some thermo…

Protein Bioprotection in disaccharides: a multiscale approach

Proteins in Saccharides Matrices and the Trehalose Peculiarity: Biochemical and Biophysical Properties

Immobilization of proteins and other biomolecules in saccharide matrices leads to a series of peculiar properties that are relevant from the point of view of both biochemistry and biophysics, and have important implications on related fields such as food industry, pharmaceutics, and medicine. In the last years, the properties of biomolecules embedded into glassy matrices and/or highly concentrated solutions of saccharides have been thoroughly investigated, at the molecular level, through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico studies. These systems show an outstanding ability to protect biostructures against stress conditions; various mechanisms appear to be at the basis of such bioprotection, th…

Water effects on saccharide matrices studied with molecular dynamics

Atomistic MD simulation of proteins in complex solvents

Cosolutes affect structure and dynamics of myoglobin-trehalose amorphous systems: a FTIR and MD study

Proteins in amorphous disaccharides: insights on bioprotection from Molecular Dynamics simulations and FTIR experiments