Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology

ISMSM Image(s) of the Month!

Orbital Inversion in Molecular Nanohoops Signals Topological Transition

This month’s featured image showcases research on radially π-conjugated macrocycles—nanohoops with alternating aromatic and quinonoid units. Published in Chemical Science, the study reveals a rare inversion of frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) as aromatic content increases, marking a molecular-scale topological transition. The image illustrates this critical point, where the energy gap narrows, the spin state shifts from singlet to triplet, and unpaired electrons localize at key junctions—opening new avenues for quantum materials and molecular spintronics.

Credit: Rameswar Bhattacharjee, John D. Tovar, and Miklos Kertesz

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Institute for Soft Matter News

Georgetown Scientists Explore Double Network Gels That Can Be Programmed Like Smart Materials

May 15th, 2025

A new study led by Georgetown University’s Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology (ISMSM) researchers, Prof. Emanuela Del Gado, Dr. Mauro L. Mugnai and Rose Tchuenkam Batoum, titled “Inter-Species Interactions in Dual, Fibrous Gel Enable Control of Gel Structure and Rheology,” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals a powerful way to fine-tune the structure and stiffness of soft gels. These are materials found in everything from biomedical devices to synthetic tissues.…

Molecular Nanohoops Reveal Unexpected Topological Transition

May 7th, 2025

A new study led by Dr. Miklos Kertesz and his team at Georgetown University, “Quinonoid radial π-conjugation” published in Chemical Science, uncovers a remarkable electronic transformation in a novel class of molecular nanohoops—compact, ring-shaped systems composed of alternating aromatic and quinonoid units. The research investigates how changing the ratio of these two components affects the nanohoops’ electronic structure, leading to surprising and potentially useful behavior.…

Nuclear Speckle Protein SRRM2 Dissolves During Anaphase in Ewing Sarcoma Cells

April 3rd, 2025

A new study led by Dr. Jeffrey Toretsky and his team at Georgetown University investigates the role of the nuclear speckle protein SRRM2 in Ewing Sarcoma (ES), offering fresh insights into how oncogenic condensates influence gene regulation. The research, conducted in collaboration with Julie Forman-Kay’s lab at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, uses advanced imaging techniques to track SRRM2 dynamics in live and fixed ES cells.…

This study focuses on the differential allosteric regulation by the ubiquitous signaling molecule, cAMP, in the cAMP receptor protein from Escherichia coli (CRPEcoli) and from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CRPMTB). By introducing structurally homologous mutations from allosteric hotspots previously identified in CRPEcoli into CRPMTB and examining their effects on protein solution structure, stability, and function, we aimed to determine the factors contributing to their differential allosteric regulation. Results from this study indicate that the structural similarity between two allosteric proteins from distantly related bacteria does not reliably predict their allosteric behavior nor identify allosteric hotspots involved in the response to molecular signals.

Georgetown Researchers Uncover Key Differences in Bacterial Protein Regulation

February 11th, 2025

A new study led by Dr. Rodrigo Maillard at Georgetown University, “Identifying Allosteric Hotspots in Mycobacterium tuberculosis cAMP Receptor Protein through Structural Homology,” published in Biochemistry sheds light on how bacteria regulate their genes, challenging long-held assumptions about protein behavior. Published in Biochemistry, the research compares how two bacterial species—Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis—use a signaling molecule called cyclic AMP (cAMP) to control important cellular functions.…

Advancing Biomimetic Materials at Georgetown University

January 29th, 2025

Researchers within the Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology (ISMSM) at Georgetown University, in collaboration with TU Eindhoven, have developed groundbreaking synthetic gel materials that mimic the dynamic properties of biological extracellular matrices. …

Unveiling the Sticky Secrets of Giardia: How a Parasitic Cell Masters Attachment

December 16th, 2024

Recent developments from Prof. Van Keuren and his students. An interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by Georgetown faculty members Biology Professor Heidi Elmendorf and Physics Professor Jeff Urbach used a combination of high-resolution imaging, computational modeling, theoretical analysis, innovative experimentation, to conclusively demonstrate that a version of the flow-based model accurately captures the biophysics of Giardia attachment.…

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