Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 35: Focus Session: 75 Years Division Polymer Physics: From Curiosity to Smart Materials (joint session CPP/BP)

BP 35.2: Topical Talk

Thursday, March 12, 2026, 15:45–16:15, ZEU/LICH

Polyelectrolytes and Biological Systems: A Charged Relationship — •Matthias Ballauff — Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universitaet Berlin

If charges are appended to linear or crosslinked polymers, a polyelectrolyte results. Polyelectrolytes are ubiquitous and play a major role in biophysics. Important natural polyelectrolytes as e.g. DNA or Heparin are central in biology, and a thorough understanding of these systems and of charge-charge interaction is one of the main tasks of biophysics. In my lecture, I will discuss our recent research done on -Interaction of linear polyelectrolytes with proteins. This problem is also relevant for the formation of biocondensates by the interaction of cationic and anionic proteins; -Charged polymer networks and their interaction with proteins; -Role of polyelectrolytes in virus infections. In all cases, a quantitative understanding of the systems in terms of analytical models can be achieved, which may pave the way for future pharmaceutical applications.

Keywords: polyelectrolyte; protein; interaction; charged networks; modeling