Embedded Files
ESI/CECAM Workshop Charged Soft Matter 🇦🇹
ESI/CECAM Workshop Charged Soft Matter 🇦🇹
[25.09.2025] Earlier this month I hosted a ESI/CECAM workshop "Charged Soft Matter" at the Erwin Schrödinger Institute at the University of Vienna. Together with 55 participants and 3 co-organizers, we spent the whole week focused on the topic of electrostatic interactions in macromolecular and colloidal systems, trying to understand the shared aspects of the physics involved in these systems.
The conference booklet and the lecture recordings are available at the workshop website
Converting twist to writhe in DNA rings 🧬
Converting twist to writhe in DNA rings 🧬
[06.08.2025] After almost three years since its beginning, the work that I have started in Edinburgh while staying in the lab of Davide Michieletto, has been finally published as a paper in Physical Review Letters. We used molecular simulations and analytically solvable theory to study supercoiled DNA plasmids functionalized by pH-responsive groups. Changing the pH charges the monomeric units, ramping the repulsions between them, hence penalizing writhe, converting it to twist. We also discover a novel phase, where an undercharged writhe-rich region co-exists with an overcharged twist-rich region. Check out also the Press Release by the University of Vienna.
Doctoral thesis defended 🎓 & off to the UK 🏴
Doctoral thesis defended 🎓 & off to the UK 🏴
[08.03.2025] My thesis The role of ring-polymer topology in macromolecular self-assembly and dynamics has been successfully defended. Many thanks to Christos N. Likos and Jan Smrek for guiding me and advising me for the last four years, and to Peter Virnau and Mohammad Reza Ejtehadi for being the referees.
Now, I am off to my next position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, working with Rosana Collepardo-Guevara, trying to model chromatin droplets in and out of equilibrium.
Dialysis of patchy charged colloids & the role of pH 🥛
Dialysis of patchy charged colloids & the role of pH 🥛
[02.03.2025] Fundamental understanding of dialysis of biomacromolecular suspensions is of a paramount importance for the pharmaceutical industry. Lack of control over the salinity or pH of the retentate full of proteins can result in precipitation and loss of valuable product. However, the pH buffer in the permeate is coupled to the retentate through a semi-permeable membrane, which affects the ion balance in the both phases. As a result, the two phases can have different pH or salt concentrations even in the equilibrium.
In our recent paper in Langmuir, we use molecular modelling to quantify the pH difference between the two compartments separated by the membrane in a model dialysis filtration unit, containing patchy charged colloids and small ions.
Short peptides, long polymers & charge regulation 🧪
Short peptides, long polymers & charge regulation 🧪
[14.03.2024] The last chapter of my master thesis has been finally published as a paper in JACS Au. We employ coarse-grained simulations combined with NMR spectroscopy and potentiometric titrations to measure the dissociation response of lysine oligopeptides in solutions at different pH values, and how does the charging affect the association of peptides with oppositely charged polymers. Ultimately, we show that charge regulation can play an important role in the processes of biomolecular condensation.
Ion sequestration by polyelectrolyte complexes 🫧
Ion sequestration by polyelectrolyte complexes 🫧
[18.01.2024] It was Saskia Lindhoud and Peter Košovan, in 2019, who opened up the doors to the world of polyelectrolyte complexes for me. Ever since, complex coacervates grew to be one of the main subjects of my interest. After more than four years of peripeties, we finally finished our first joint paper, available in Macromolecules. This work combines thermogravimetry and absorption spectroscopy with molecular simulations to explore partitioning of small ionic solutes in two-phase coacervates systems.
Highlight of our work in Newsletter of International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists.
Polymers ... but with a twist 🌀
Polymers ... but with a twist 🌀
[14.12.2023] Enjoy my artwork, recently submitted to the Research Image Competition of the Vienna Doctoral School in Physics.
The image depicts active ring polymers with motors, introducing extra torque into the contour of the ring, coiling them up in the process. Our paper on these interesting systems with non-trivial rheological response will be published in a couple of months.
Stacked interview about stacks 💪
Stacked interview about stacks 💪
[25.10.2023] Recently, Jan Smrek gave an interview to Rudolphina Research Magazine, talking about our recent paper from ACS Nano, exploring polyelectrolyte rings in dense solutions. We investigate how the threading and ring interpenetration enable clustering and formation of nanoscopic cylindrical stacks of rings. The above behavior can be steered and controlled by counterion conditions.
Web launched 🚀
Web launched 🚀
[24.10.2023] As the list of my papers grows longer and more incoherent, I decided to launch a website, providing a clearer overview of my research, its motivations and overarching goals. Herein, I will be giving more context to different lines of my research and how do they relate to each other, and also additional materials, open-source codes, teaching materials and more.
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