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Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases

Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases

Published on: March 28, 2011

Crystallization of hard-sphere glasses.

E Zaccarelli¹, C Valeriani, E Sanz

¹Dipartimento di Fisica and CNR-INFM-SOFT, Universitá di Roma La Sapienza, 00185, Roma, Italy.

Physical Review Letters

|November 13, 2009

Summary

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that hard sphere systems can crystallize even when exhibiting glass-like aging behavior. This challenges the assumption that crystallization implies an ergodic fluid state, not a glass.

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Area of Science:

Soft Matter Physics
Computational Materials Science
Statistical Mechanics

Background:

Understanding the glass transition and crystallization in dense particle systems is crucial.
Distinguishing between ergodic fluid and glassy states is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between arrest, crystallization, and the glass transition in hard sphere systems.
To determine if spontaneous crystallization can occur from a glassy state.

Main Methods:

Molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
System parameters explored included volume fraction (0.54–0.63) and polydispersity (0–0.085).

Main Results:

An ideal glass transition was identified at a volume fraction of approximately 0.585, independent of polydispersity.
For polydispersities below 0.05, spontaneous crystallization was observed above this glass transition volume fraction.
Crystallization occurred on timescales where systems exhibited aging and did not reach a diffusive regime, characteristic of a glass.

Conclusions:

Spontaneous crystallization does not necessarily indicate an ergodic fluid state; it can occur from a glassy state.
The findings challenge conventional interpretations of crystallization in colloid and hard sphere systems.