Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Interactions with and Membrane Permeabilization of Brain Mitochondria by Amyloid Fibrils
Published on: September 28, 2019
All-Amyloid Functional Coacervates
Seyyed Alireza Hashemi1,2, Mohammad Peydayesh2, Laura Baraldi2
1Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites Laboratory, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
None:
Electrostatic complex coacervates offer a robust pathway to convert homogeneous oppositely charged polyelectrolyte solutions into condensed structured liquids via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Directing these principles toward artificial, all-proteinaceous complex coacervates enables the development of soft matter systems fully compatible with a broad range of advanced biotechnological products. Here, we employ charge-tunable β-lactoglobulin and lysozyme amyloid nanofibrils as building blocks toward fully proteinaceous functional materials. The functionality is dictated by engineering the composition and self-organization of oppositely charged amyloid nanofibrils at the liquid-liquid interface. Depending on the path and process followed, we demonstrate all-amyloid interfacial complex coacervates in the form of vein-like tubular structures or capsules with tunable electrical or ionic conductivity, viscoelasticity, multidimensional morphology, and programmable macromolecular crowding. These constructs, made solely of amyloid constituents, provide a general platform for artificial protein scaffolds and advanced materials with potential applications in bioelectronics and bio-optics.
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Lysosomal Hydrolases
Cofactors and Coenzymes
Cofactors and Coenzymes
Cofactors can be metallic ions or organic molecules called coenzymes. These types of helper...
Cofactors and Coenzymes

