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The phase behavior of protein solutions is important for numerous phenomena in biology and soft matter. We report a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behavior of aqueous solutions of a globular protein induced by multivalent metal ions around physiological temperatures. The LCST behavior manifests itself via a liquid-liquid phase separation of the protein-salt solution upon heating.

Diffusion of a particle through an energy and diffusivity landscape is a very general phenomenon in numerous systems of soft and condensed matter. On the one hand, theoretical frameworks such as Langevin and Fokker-Planck equations present valuable accounts to understand these motions in great detail, and numerous studies have exploited these approaches. On the other hand, analytical solutions for

We report a real-time study on protein crystallization in the presence of multivalent salts using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and optical microscopy, focusing particularly on the nucleation mechanism as well as on the role of the metastable intermediate phase (MIP). Using bovine beta-lactoglobulin as a model system in the presence of the divalent salt CdCl2, we have monitored the early sta

The dynamics of proteins in solution is a complex and hierarchical process, affected by the aqueous environment as well as temperature. We present a comprehensive study on nanosecond time and nanometer length scales below, at, and above the denaturation temperature Td. Our experimental data evidence dynamical processes in protein solutions on three distinct time scales. We suggest a consistent phy

The short-time self-diffusion D of the globular model protein bovine serum albumin in aqueous (D2O) solutions has been measured comprehensively as a function of the protein and trivalent salt (YCl3) concentration, noted cp and cs, respectively. We observe that D follows a universal master curve D(cs,cp) = D(cs = 0,cp) g(cs/cp), where D(cs = 0,cp) is the diffusion coefficient in the absence of salt

We present a real-time study of protein crystallization of bovine-lactoglobulin in the presence of CdCl2 using small-angle X-ray scattering and optical microscopy. From observing the crystallization kinetics, we propose the following multistep crystallization mechanism that is consistent with our data. In the first step, an intermediate phase is formed, followed by the nucleation of crystals withi

We have studied nanoscale diffusion of membrane hydration water in fluid-phase lipid bilayers made of 1,2-dimyristoyl-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) using incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering. Dynamics were fit directly in the energy domain using the Fourier transform of a stretched exponential. By using large, 2-dimensional detectors, lateral motions of water molecules and motions perpendicular t

We have studied oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) thiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coated gold nanoparticles (AuOEG) and their interactions with proteins in solutions using electrophoretic and dynamic light scattering (ELS and DLS). The results are compared with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thiol coated AuNPs (AuPEG). We show that both AuOEG and AuPEG particles carry a low net negative charge and ar

We present an experimental study combined with a theoretical discussion of the effective interactions in protein solutions approaching a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) induced by addition of multivalent metal ions. The reduced second virial coefficient, B2/B2HS, is used to describe the interaction and discussed with theoretical predictions for colloidal systems. We have determined the salt

The formation of protein clusters as precursors for crystallization and phase separation is of fundamental and practical interest in protein science. Using multivalent ions, the strengths of both long-range Coulomb repulsion and short-range attraction can be tuned in protein solutions, representing a well-controlled model system to study static and dynamic properties of clustering during the trans

The understanding of protein interactions to control phase and nucleation behavior of protein solutions is an important challenge for soft matter, biological and medical research. Here, we present ion bridges of multivalent cations between proteins as an ion-activated mechanism for patchy interaction that is directly supported by experimental findings in protein crystals. A deep understanding of e

The phase behavior of protein solutions is affected by additives such as crowder molecules or salts. In particular, upon addition of multivalent counterions, a reentrant condensation can occur; i.e., protein solutions are stable for low and high multivalent ion concentrations but aggregating at intermediate salt concentrations. The addition of monovalent ions shifts the phase boundaries to higher

We briefly summarize the recent progress in tuning protein interactions as well as phase behavior in protein solutions using multivalent metal ions. We focus on the influence of control parameters and the mechanism of reentrant condensation, the metastable liquid"liquid phase separation and classical vs. nonclassical pathways of protein crystallization.

Dynamics in protein solutions is essential for both protein function and cellular processes. The hierarchical complexity of global protein diffusion, side-chain diffusion, and microscopic motions of chemical groups renders a complete understanding challenging. We present results from quasi-elastic neutron scattering on protein solutions of γ-globulin over a wide range of volume fractions. Translat

We discuss the phase behavior and in particular crystallization of a model globular protein (beta-lactoglobulin) in solution in the presence of multivalent electrolytes. It has been shown previously that negatively charged globular proteins at neutral pH in the presence of multivalent counterions undergo a "re-entrant condensation (RC)" phase behavior (Zhang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2008, 101, 14

During protein crystallization and purification, proteins are commonly found in concentrated salt solutions. The exact interplay of the hydration shell, the salt ions, and protein-protein interactions under these conditions is far from being understood on a fundamental level, despite the obvious practical relevance. We have studied a model globular protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) in concentrat

Tuning of protein surface charge is a fundamental mechanism in biological systems. Protein charge is regulated in a physiological context by pH and interaction with counterions. We report on charge inversion and the related reentrant condensation in solutions of globular proteins with different multivalent metal cations. In particular, we focus on the changes in phase behavior and charge regulatio

Macromolecular crowding in biological media is an essential factor for cellular function. The interplay of intermolecular interactions at multiple time and length scales governs a fine-tuned system of reaction and transport processes, including particularly protein diffusion as a limiting or driving factor. Using quasielastic neutron backscattering, we probe the protein self-diffusion in crowded a

We report on a combined cold neutron backscattering and spin-echo study of the short-range and long-range nanosecond diffusion of the model globular protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution as a function of protein concentration and NaCl salt concentration. Complementary small angle X-ray scattering data are used to obtain information on the correlations of the proteins in solution.

Using both quasi-elastic and fixed-window neutron spectroscopy, we study the dynamics of highly concentrated aqueous protein solutions of bovine serum albumin around the denaturing transition. For the temperature range 280 K < T < 370 K, the total mean-squared displacement 〈u 2〉 is recorded. Below and above the denaturing, we observe that 〈u 2〉 increases monotonically with T, but at the denaturing