Experimental and Computational Physics of Biosystems

Line 1: Collective dynamics of biosystems and their hydration water. This line is aimed at investigating the collective dynamics and low energy vibrational properties (terahertz frequencies) of model biological systems (phospholipid membranes, proteins). Particular attention is paid to the influence of the dynamics of the aforementioned systems on their hydration water and viceversa, i.e. to the biosystem-solvent dynamic coupling, and to the contribution of solvent dynamics to biomolecular functionality. Line 2: Single-particle dynamics of phospholipids in model membranes. This study aims at investigating the diffusive and local dynamics of model phospholipid membranes and at verifying the changes induced on the structural organization and the dynamics of membrane lipids by the presence of alcohols with chains of various length and of pore-forming oligopeptides. Research for Line 1 and 2 is carried out by means of experimental and computational techniques: neutron and X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman and IR spectroscopy, calorimetry, classical molecular dynamics simulation (full-atomistic and coarse grained). Line 1 and 2, activities and products: publications, conference communications, graduate and doctoral theses, seminars, research projects, experiments at international facilities, laboratories for secondary schools. Line 3: Dynamics of calcium fluxes in astrocytic cells. Calcium flows in astrocytic exhibit an oscillatory behavior, with amplitude and phase modulations, linked to the activities of adjacent neuronal cells. The study is carried out both from a theoretical-simulative point of view through the study of the differential equations that govern the system, and experimentally through fluorescence measurements on cell cultures of human astrocytes, in collaboration with the University Hospital. Line 3, activities and products: publications, conference communications, realization of a fluorescence microscope integrated in a CO2 incubator.