The Faculty of Physics at TU Wien invites you to the Physics Colloquium on April 28, 2026, at 4:00 PM in Freihaus FH 8, Nöbauer Lecture Hall - MATH( Wiedner Hauptstraße 8–10, 1040 Vienna)

From Proteins and Cells to Electrons

Emanuela Bianchi's talk, “Insights into Protein Effective Interactions and Phase Behavior” focuses on the description of protein–protein interactions in solution. Due to the heterogeneous surface charge of proteins, strongly directional interactions arise that govern their collective behavior. To simplify the complex microscopic description, a mean-field approach is employed, based on the well-known DLVO theory and extended to heterogeneously charged particles. This allows for the development of reduced models that demonstrate how charge heterogeneity influences phase separation and protein condensation.

In her talk, Eva Sevcsik, “Engineering Biointerfaces to Dissect Cell–Cell Interactions at the Nanoscale” investigates cell–cell interactions on the nanoscale. Using tailored biofunctional interfaces and DNA nanostructures, proteins can be arranged with high precision to systematically study their influence on cellular signaling processes. Combined with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy, this approach provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cellular communication, for example in immune responses.

The third talk by Andrej Pustogow, “New Spin on Electrons in Frustrated Mott Systems, Superconductors and Thermoelectrics” addresses the behavior of electrons in complex solid-state systems. By combining spectroscopic methods with controlled bandwidth tuning via pressure and strain, electronic properties can be precisely manipulated. This work resolves longstanding questions in unconventional superconductivity, frustrated Mott systems, and thermoelectric materials, and opens new routes for controlling electronic properties.