Influence of pH and lipid membrane on the liquid-liquid phase separation of wheat γ-gliadin in aqueous conditions.

Protein body (PB) formation in wheat seeds is a critical process influencing seed content and nutritional quality. In this study, we investigate the potential mechanisms governing PB formation through an in vitro approach, focusing on γ-gliadin, a key wheat storage protein. We used a microfluidic technique to encapsulate γ-gliadin within giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and tune the physicochemical conditions in a controlled and rapid way.

Trends in the Synthesis of Polymer Nano- and Microscale Materials for Bio-Related Applications.

Polymeric nano- and microscale materials bear significant potential in manifold applications related to biomedicine. This is owed not only to the large chemical diversity of the constituent polymers, but also to the various morphologies these materials can achieve, ranging from simple particles to intricate self-assembled structures. Modern synthetic polymer chemistry permits the tuning of many physicochemical parameters affecting the behavior of polymeric nano- and microscale materials in the biological context.

Droplet Microfluidics for Food and Nutrition Applications.

Droplet microfluidics revolutionizes the way experiments and analyses are conducted in many fields of science, based on decades of basic research. Applied sciences are also impacted, opening new perspectives on how we look at complex matter. In particular, food and nutritional sciences still have many research questions unsolved, and conventional laboratory methods are not always suitable to answer them.

Semi-permeable vesicles produced by microfluidics to tune the phase behaviour of encapsulated macromolecules.

Understanding the dynamics of macromolecular assemblies in solution, such as Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS), represents technologic and fundamental challenges in many fields. In cell biology, such dynamics are of great interest, because of their involvement in subcellular processes. In our study, we aimed to control the assembly of macromolecules in aqueous semi-permeable vesicles, that we named osmosomes, using microfluidics.

Heat-induced gelation of mixtures of micellar caseins and plant proteins in aqueous solution.

The aim of this work was to investigate how the heat-induced gelation of micellar casein (MC)-plant protein mixtures in aqueous solution is affected by protein composition (MC/plant proteins = 100/0 to 0/100) and total protein content (4%, 6% and 8% w/w) at pH 5.8 and 6.0.

Water-In-Water Emulsion Gels Stabilized by Cellulose Nanocrystals.

Particle-stabilized water-in-water emulsions were prepared by mixing dextran and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in water and adding cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The CNC formed a layer at the surface of the dispersed droplets formed by the PEO-rich phase. Excess CNC partitioned to the continuous dextran phase.