Background and activities

Stokke leads a biophysics based research activity at the interface between life-science and engineering, with emphasis on physical properties of biological macromolecules, their assemblies, e.g. hydrogels. Mesoscale structure formation and interactions within biopolymers are fundamental phenomena underpinning molecular understanding of biopolymers and their technological exploitation. We study details of biopolymer interactions, association states occurring within polyelectrolyte complexes, biopolymer assemblies and multilayers, polysaccharide gels, and responsive gels as biospecific signal transducers. The activity covers a range of various biological macromolecules and their properties domains as exemplified by information provided in the following links:

Single-molecular pair interactions

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/single_interactions.html

Bioresponsive hydrogels as signal transducing materials in biosensors

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/bioresponsive_gels.html

Polyelectrolyte complexes

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/polyelectrolytes.html

Structure and properties of beta-glucans

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/glucans.html

 

Microfluidics – devices for preparation of hydrogels with controlled size, and separation of exosomes

http://www.ntnu.edu/microfluidics/

Amyloid structures studied by AFM and TIRFM

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/research.html

Structure of polysaccharide hydrogels

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/polysaccharide_gels.html

Nanoscopic characterization of Toll-like receptors

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/toll_receptors.html

Physics of the enzymatic mode of action

http://home.phys.ntnu.no/brukdef/prosjekter/biopolymerphysics/enzyme_action.html

 

In addition to classical ensemble averaging techniques, application of single-molecule techniques is a distinctive facet of our approach to tackle core issues within these topics. The tools implemented locally for this research include atomic force microscopy, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, dynamic force spectroscopy, high resolution interferometry and rheology. These tools are complemented by additional techniques made available to through collaborations with laboratories either locally, or within national and international collaborations. We are also increasing taking advantage of parts of the micro-and nanoscale fabrication facilities provided by NTNU NanoLab, e.g., for custom design of fabricated microfluidic chips. A distintiive feature of the research efforts is also the combination of experimental approaches with numerical/theoretical ones, e.g, finite element modelling of bioresponsive hydrogels, modelling of enzymatic mode of action, and implementation of efficient routines for extraction of quantitative parameters (e.g. force spectroscopy, image analysis).

 

Scientific, academic and artistic work

A selection of recent journal publications, artistic productions, books, including book and report excerpts. See all publications in the database

Journal publications