PIRSA:13120032

Electrostatics

Lam, N. (2013). Electrostatics. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/13120032

Lam, Norman. Electrostatics. Perimeter Institute, Dec. 05, 2013, https://pirsa.org/13120032 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:13120032,
            doi = {10.48660/13120032},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/13120032},
            author = {Lam, Norman},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Electrostatics},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2013},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:13120032 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Norman Lam University of Toronto

DOI 10.48660/13120032
Collection
Talk Type Conference

Abstract

Electrostatic phenomena in soft matter systems are often intriguing or even counterintuitive. DNA condensation by polyvalent counterions is now a classic example by which highly-negatively charged DNA strands attract each other in the presence of poly-cations. Also Mg2+ can stabilize inverted hexagonal phases of lipid aggregates that would otherwise form lamellar phases. Here we discuss another intriguing electrostatic phenomenon: electrostatic modification of lipid membranes by poly-cations. In particular we examine how the poly-anionic nature of LPS (lipopolysaccharide) molecules is implicated in the permeability properties of LPS membranes.