Peter Košovan's grant project was evaluated as excellent
The project “Simulation of reaction equilibria in polymer systems – method development and applications” from the MacroMolecularModeling (MaMoMo) research group, headed by Peter Košovan, was evaluated as excellent by the Czech Science Foundation. It was featured in an article on the funding agency’s website (in Czech) and on the website vedavyzkum.cz (also in English).
The project integrates theoretical models, computer simulations, and experiments to study how the charge of macromolecules varies with pH and how this affects their interactions. This research challenges the common assumption that molecular charge remains constant during interactions, showing instead that charge and intermolecular forces influence each other dynamically, sometimes leading to unexpected attractions between like-charged molecules.
P. Košovan and his collaborators demonstrated that simple models developed for synthetic polymers can also explain the behavior of biomacromolecules such as peptides and proteins. His team successfully modeled pH-dependent charge regulation and phase behavior, including protein partitioning in polyelectrolyte coacervates. These findings extend to biological systems, where similar phase separation processes form biomolecular condensates in cells. Overall, the research highlights the broad applicability of simple theoretical frameworks to complex molecular systems, with implications for understanding cellular processes and developing biomedical models.
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