Levich Institute Seminar – Tuesday, 10/02/2018

Levich Institute Seminar Announcement, 10/02/2018

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Tuesday, 10/02/2018
2:00 PM
Steinman Hall, Room #312
(Chemical Engineering Conference Room)

 

Professor Samiui Amin
Manhattan College
Chemical Engineering Department

“Mechanistic Insights Into Self-Assembly and Gelation in Proteins and Complex Fluids through Optical Microrheology & Raman Spectroscopy”

ABSTRACT

 

The combination of dynamic light scattering (DLS), optical microrheology and Raman spectroscopy offers concomitant measurements of protein structure, viscosity and aggregation. By linking the changes observed in the molecular structure measured by Raman spectroscopy with the nanoscale physical properties derived from DLS and optical microrheology, unique insights into the optimum solvent (formulation) conditions that stabilize the native state of the protein can be obtained. In particular the Raman measurements provide information about the secondary and tertiary (intramolecular) structural changes as well as conformational changes or modifications of the disulfide linkages. The DLS and measurements provide direct observations of changes in the hydrodynamic radius or polydispersity (monomer and higher order oligomers) of the protein resulting from aggregation or unfolding while the microrheology records changes in viscosity and viscoelasticity as a result of intermolecular interactions which create higher order protein networks and ultimately gels. These additional physical parameters can be further correlated with other Raman markers that directly measure changes in the hydrogen bonding network that are the basis for these physical manifestations. A similar approach can be applied to other complex fluids systems such as surfactants and polymers, where insights into the associated chemical conformational/structural changes and various non-covalent interactions (e.g. H-bonds, hydrophobic interactions) leading to the self-assembly process have been very limited. We present data that demonstrates that new insights into the mechanisms and pathways of protein aggregation and self-assembly in surfactant and polymeric systems as well as some of the driving forces associated with changes in viscosity and viscoelasticity, can be obtained using these physicochemical techniques.

BRIEF ACADEMIC/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

Dr.Amin joined Manhattan College in Fall 2017 as a Research Associate Professor. In Spring 2018 he was appointed as an Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering department.He has been working in industrial R&D for the past 20+ years across a range of industrial sectors covering cosmetics, consumer goods and scientific instrumentation. He has held senior level R&D roles at multiple global companies-L’Oreal, Unilever and Malvern Instruments. Dr. Amin has served on several national and international committees in the area of soft matter/colloids and protein aggregation and has Chaired multiple International conferences in Europe and the United States.

MOST RECENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Professor Amin’s research interest spans complex fluids, smart materials, rheology/microrheology/tribology, advanced characterization, cosmetic & biopharmaceutical formulation design. In addition Dr.Amin has significant expertise in implementation of Open Innovation in global R&D organizations. 

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