Liquid-liquid Phase Separation Mediated Self-assembly of Bioinspired Peptides and Proteins by Associate Professor Yu Jing

24 Nov 2026 02.30 PM - 03.30 PM MSE Meeting Room 1 (N4.1-01-28) Alumni, Current Students

NTU MSE Seminar Hosted by Professor Chen Xiaodong

Abstract

This seminar will summarize our work on bioinspired self-assembling peptides. First, we study mussel-inspired wet adhesives. Mussels secrete mussel foot proteins (Mfps) forming liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) coacervates for underwater adhesion. The molecular mechanism remains unclear. We find that peptide GK-16 (from Mfp-5) forms coacervates in seawater. Molecular dynamics and mutagenesis reveal Dopa- and Gly-mediated hydrogen bonding drives coacervation. Modulating pH/salt concentration controls charge interactions versus Dopa hydrogen bonding, tuning GK-16 coacervate properties. Second, we design an insect cuticular protein (ICP)-inspired self-assembly system. These peptides form hollow nanocapsules via one-step water/acetone solvent exchange. A concentration gradient drives peptide aggregation at the water-acetone interface, producing nanocapsules. The intrinsic peptide affinity for specific solvent concentrations underpins assembly, while mutual diffusion creates a gradient-triggered localization zone. This gradient-mediated strategy offers an innovative route to streamline peptide nanocapsule drug delivery.
Biography

Associate Professor Yu Jing
Tsinghua University

Jing Yu is an Associate Professor in the Mechano-X Institute at Tsinghua University. Jing obtained his Bachelor's degree from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University in 2007 and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2012. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Chicago/Argonne National Laboratory. In 2017, he joined the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In 2019, Jing was awarded the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship. He was promoted to Tenured Associate Professor at NTU in 2023. In 2024, he joined Mechano-X at Tsinghua University. Jing is an Associate Editor of ACS Applied Polymer Materials. Dr Yu’s long-term research focuses on the interface of polymer physical chemistry and biomaterials, with an emphasis on the self-assembly of biomacromolecules and their physicochemical properties.

Categories