Himanshu Khandelia (University of Southern Denmark): Electromechanical Coupling in Lipid Membranes and Nucleotides as Hydrotropes

Title: Electromechanical Coupling in Lipid Membranes and Nucleotides as Hydrotropes

Speaker: Himanshu Khandelia, University of Southern Denmark

Hosted by: Jeffery Klauda

Abstract: 

The liquid crystal element of lipid bilayers gives rise to unique properties under the influence of an external electric field. I will talk about two to three different applications of this idea of electromechanical coupling in simple lipid membranes. Increasing membrane potentials bend membranes, heat is produced during the passing of an action potential and voltage sensors can be designed to harness the dipolar coupling of simple peptides in membranes. In the second part of the talk, I will talk about the mechanism by which nucleotide triphosphate can dissolve hydrophobic clusters in solution, and the ramifications of this in the modulation of liquid-liquid phase separation.