Biopolymers
The work of the Biopolymers group covers three topics: the structural investigation of aggregated proteins in amyloid fibrils, the sequencing of DNA/RNA strands and the identification of individual components of microorganisms. In the experiments, near- and far-field Raman spectroscopic methods are used to characterize samples from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. This way, label-free insights into the structural and chemical composition of biological surfaces are obtained which are inaccessible with other methods. In particular, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) enables morphological and structural characterization of biopolymers with high sensitivity (single molecule basis) and high spatial resolution (< 1 nm).
Characterization of soft materials for their chemical composition and mechanical properties
Identification and classification of individual viral particles
Morphological and molecular structure analysis of amyloidogenic structures
Research Topics
- Structural analysis of native and aggregated proteins
- Differentiation of single bases in nucleic acids
- Identification of proteins, lipids and polysaccharides on biological surfaces
In the experiments, the chemical structure of biopolymers is investigated label-free and non-destructively on a single particle basis under in-vitro conditions. The identification and localization of individual structural elements on microorganisms allows conclusions to be drawn about their surface composition.
Areas of application
- Analysis of biopolymers under different environmental conditions
- Development of homogeneous molecular surfaces as model interfaces
- Correlation of topography and chemical composition of biological surfaces