Washington University in St. Louis
Direct Computations of Spatially Resolved Viscoelastic Moduli of Biomolecular Condensates
Abstract
dc:description.abstract<p>Biomolecular condensates are viscoelastic materials formed by liquid-liquid phase separations (LLPS) of biopolymers. In this study, we develop a modified graph Laplacian-based collective model to characterize viscoelastic heterogeneity within condensates based on results of lattice-based Metropolis Monte Carlo (MMC) simulations. By integrating random graph models and simulations of A1-LCD, a type of intrinsically disordered protein, we examine how network topology influences storage modulus, loss modulus, crossover frequency, and relaxation time spectra. Our results reveal a strong correlation between topological features and mechanical response, with the condensate interior exhibiting higher stiffness and faster relaxation than the interface. The relaxation spectra provide rich insights into dynamic behavior beyond what moduli alone can capture. This framework offers a scalable, interpretable approach for quantifying spatial viscoelasticity in biomolecular assemblies.</p>
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Science (MS)
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Thesis
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
- Year dc:date.available
- 2025
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Gu, Liwen
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Rohit V. Pappu
- Amit Pathak, Guy Genin
Subjects
dc:subject × 7Rights
- Language dc:language
- English (en)
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:eng_etds-2282