| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/R11315/01 |
| Title: |
Ropa: Elasticity and Mechanical Relaxation In Chiral Biopolymer Networks |
| Principal Investigator: |
Terentjev, Professor E |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Physics |
| Organisation: |
University of Cambridge |
| Scheme: |
ROPA |
| Starts: |
01 November 2001 |
Ends: |
30 April 2004 |
Value (£): |
138,810
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Cells |
Complex fluids & soft solids |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Healthcare |
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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This project will focus on experimental study of equilibrium and dynamic elastic properties of elastomeric networks of chiral twist-storing polymers: natural polypeptides and synthetic. Theoretical research, being carried out in parallel and a little ahead of this work, suggests that the elastic response of such networks should be highly non-classical, dominated by enthalpic effects of writhe superhelix formation and other non-trivial topological constraints characteristic of chiral polymers. We shall perform a detailed high-precision dynamic-mechanical study of this elastic response and correlate it with optical rotation data showing the degree of macroscopic helicity in the material, aiming to establish universal relations that unite chiral biological and synthetic polymer networks and contrast them with classical centrosymmetric rubbers.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.cam.ac.uk |