arXiv subjects

Zhiquan Yu

Publications and source records attributed to Zhiquan Yu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An in situ self-adaptive hydrogel coating enables seamless neural interfaces via okra mucilage polysaccharide and {\alpha}-helical peptide amphiphiles co-assembly

Long-term stability of neural interfaces is frequently compromised by mechanical mismatch and chronic neuroinflammation, often leading to electrode detachment and signal failure. While hydrogel coatings offer a solution, conventional designs typically rely on exogenous conductive fillers that can sacrifice mechanical flexibility or induce toxicity. Here, we report on a soft neural interface based on the supramolecular co-assembly of a renewable natural polysaccharide, okra mucilage polysaccharide (OMP), and an {\alpha}-helical peptide amphiphiles (APA). The resulting OMP-APA hydrogel (OP gel) exhibits environment-responsive enhancements in bioadhesion and charge-transport capability triggered by physiological pH and electrical stimulation. These properties arise from intrinsic, stimulus-responsive alterations in fibre architecture and orientation, eliminating the need for conductive fillers. Leveraging interfacial liquid-liquid phase separation, we demonstrate the in situ coating of ultra-thin OP-gel coating onto carbon fibre electrodes (CFE). The OP-gel-coated electrodes (OP-CFE) significantly mitigate foreign body responses and glial scarring, enabling stable, high-quality neural recordings in a mouse cortical in vivo model. Our findings provide a versatile strategy for constructing seamless, multifunctional bio-interfaces through supramolecular co-assembly, with broad implications for advancing neural prosthetics and neuroscience research.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2025

A dispersal recolonisation 3D biofilm in vitro model based on co-assembled peptide amphiphiles and clinical wound fluid

Chronic wound infections are sustained by dynamic 3D biofilm cycles involving maturation, dispersal, and recolonisation, yet existing in vitro models fail to reproduce these temporal and structural complexities. Here, we report a strategy that co-assembles a designed protease-inhibitory peptide amphiphile (PA-GF) with patient-derived wound fluid (WF) to reconstruct the complete biofilm life cycle in vitro. The PA-GF sequence incorporates an HWGF motif capable of binding and inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), thereby preserving the integrity of recolonised biofilms under proteolytic stress. Co-assembling with WF generated a living material that faithfully mimicked the biochemical and mechanical microenvironment of chronic wounds, supporting the formation of stable 3D biofilms capable of dispersal and recolonisation. Furthermore, we established a controllable polymicrobial infection model and validated its translational relevance through antibiotic susceptibility profiling and spatial microbiological analyses. Notably, the antibiotic response patterns of the PA/WF-derived biofilms closely mirrored those observed in a rat wound infection in vivo model. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that co-assembling living materials can recapitulate the nutritional composition, 3D architecture, and recolonisation dynamics of in vivo infectious biofilms, offering a physiologically relevant and customisable platform for investigating chronic wound infections and accelerating anti-biofilm drug discovery.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2025

Mastering energy landscapes via liquid liquid phase separation to program active supramolecular coassembly from the nano to macro scale

The energy landscape dictates pathways and outcomes in supramolecular selfassembly, yet harnessing it from the nano to the macro scales remains a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate liquid liquid phase separation (LLPS) as a powerful tool to navigate and engineer the energy landscapes of coassembly systems comprising disordered proteins and peptides. We quantitatively map the energy barriers and transition states governing structural transitions, enabling predictive on off control of assembly and hierarchical order from nano to macro scales. By integrating supramolecular biofabrication, we achieve spatially organized architectures with life like non equilibrium behaviour. Crucially, assembly stability and scalable selfsorting are shown to depend on accessing minimum energy states, regardless of whether the co assembled structures are disordered or ordered. This work establishes energy landscape mediation via LLPS as a general framework for designing lifelike, hierarchically structured materials.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2025

De novo design of alpha-helical peptide amphiphiles repairing fragmented collagen type I via supramolecular co-assembly

The hierarchical triple-helix structure of collagen type I, Col I, is essential for extracellular matrix support and integrity. However, current reconstruction strategies face challenges such as chain mismatch, preventing proper fibril formation. Here, we report a supramolecular co-assembly strategy using a de novo-designed alpha-helical peptide amphiphile (APA) of just seven amino acids. The APA features a hydrophobic palmitic acid tail, which stabilizes the helical structure and promotes co-assembly upon interaction with complementary molecular structures. This minimal design enables selective recognition of fragmented collagen (FC), restoring triple-helix conformation and guiding fibre formation. We applied this mechanism to engineer FC-rich nanofat (NF) into a mechanically reinforced biomaterial. Integration of APA-NF with coaxial 3D printing enabled spatial control of structure and function. In a porcine model, this platform enhanced in situ vascularized adipose tissue regeneration. Our results demonstrate that hierarchical reconstruction of collagen via peptide-guided supramolecular assembly offers a promising strategy for soft tissue repair.

physics.chem-ph↗