Physics University of Limerick reposted this
Assistant Professor in Physical Sciences | Course Director MSc Bioprocessing | Supramolecular Chemistry & Proteinopathies
*** A 'nucleated' Friday: just in time for the long weekend *** Our latest work on how toxic amyloid oligomers, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease, form on the surfaces of amyloid fibrils through secondary nucleation mechanism, is now out in AAAS Science Magazine journal #ScienceAdvances: https://lnkd.in/d5qqj38U. Leveraging liquid-based AFM maps from the brilliant Peter Nirmalraj at Empa, Zurich, we track how these oligomers bind and proliferate at specific catalytic sites on fibril surfaces—from the initial stages all the way to the formation of mature structures through atomic-scale molecular simulations. Specifically, we show for the first time (to the best of our knowledge) that fibril edges serve as primary binding locations for oligomers during early aggregation stages. One of our key findings is the identification of “superspreader” fibrils, which exhibit heightened surface catalytic activity. These unique fibrils could offer new insights for slowing or preventing harmful aggregations associated with Alzheimer’s. Pioneering visual tools to understand these mechanisms not only enhances our grasp of Alzheimer’s disease pathology but may also inspire new therapeutic strategies. Wishing everyone a relaxing long bank holiday weekend—and for those of you in the Neurodegenerative research community, we look forward to discussing this study and exploring its implications further! SSPC, Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals Bernal Institute, University of Limerick Physics University of Limerick Dementia Research Network Ireland (DRNI) #ScienceAdvances #Research #Publication #Innovation #Physics #Alzheimers #Dementia