Research Openings in Biomolecular Engineering Research Group of Charles Sing

Prof. Charles Sing in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department is looking for new graduate students to work on a project on polyelectrolyte complexes, in particular focusing on their dynamics in out-of-equilibrium conditions (see description below). This type of project might be interesting to a physics graduate student.  Following is a description of Prof. Sing's research:

Advanced Complex Coacervates for Rheological Control

There is emerging interest in oppositely-charged polyelectrolyte materials, which form physical gel structures known as complex coacervates. These materials are aqueous, robust at high salt concentrations, and are widely used in industry as viscosity modifiers, encapsulants, and surface modifications. The ability of biomolecules such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and polysaccharides to form coacervates has led to comparisons with biological systems such as membrane-less organelles and even feature in origin of life scenarios. Furthermore, the development of biomimics such as synthetic protocells have typically used coacervation as a driving force.

These materials have highly-correlated structures that have been largely neglected in historical theories yet play a major role in coacervate structure and function. We intend to fundamentally understand the connection between the molecular details of the polyelectrolytes involved and the dynamics of the material when placed in both linear and non-linear flow conditions. We will develop simulations and theoretical insights that will provide clues as to how to use molecular features (charge connectivity and patterning, polymer rigidity, salt concentration and identity) to manipulate the materials response to applied deformations.

Theoretical efforts will be concomitant with simulation, and will lead to new advances in molecular-design of polymer materials using electrostatics. This will be placed in the context of rheological characterization, and will be an ideal model system to pioneer fundamental studies into non-linear flows and highly out-of-equilibrium dynamics.

For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/uiucpolymerphysics/