The effects of shear flow on protein structure and function
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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Characterizing Single-Molecule Conformational Changes Under Shear Flow with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: January 25, 2020
Innocent B Bekard1, Peter Asimakis, Joseph Bertolini
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
Abstract:
Protein molecules are subjected to potentially denaturing fluid shear forces during processing and in circulation in the body. These complex molecules, involved in numerous biological functions and reactions, can be significantly impaired by molecular damage. There have been many studies on the effects of hydrodynamic shear forces on protein structure and function. These studies are reviewed and the implications to bioprocessing and pathophysiology of certain diseases are discussed.
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