PIRSA:13120023

Double twist liquid crystal model of collagen structure

Brown, A. (2013). Double twist liquid crystal model of collagen structure. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/13120023

Brown, Aidan. Double twist liquid crystal model of collagen structure. Perimeter Institute, Dec. 05, 2013, https://pirsa.org/13120023 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:13120023,
            doi = {10.48660/13120023},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/13120023},
            author = {Brown, Aidan},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Double twist liquid crystal model of collagen structure},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2013},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:13120023 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Aidan Brown Dalhousie University

DOI 10.48660/13120023
Collection
Talk Type Conference

Abstract

Collagen is the main component of connective tissue and the most abundant protein in mammals. The structure of collagen is hierarchical with the triple-helical molecules organizing into fibrils and fibrils contained in higher-order arrangements. A fibril may be considered as a liquid crystal of individual triple helices. Their chiral molecular structure can lead to a macroscopic helical arrangement known as the cholesteric phase which has been observed in fragments of collagen fibrils. The cholesteric orientation can vary with radial distance in the fibril as a double twist. We numerically minimize mean-field Frank free energy in the bulk to solve for the liquid crystal orientation as a function of radial distance (r). By also considering surface terms the overall energy per fibril area is minimized to find the optimal fibril radius R and molecule orientation on the fibril surface (R) both of which may be compared to experimental measurements.