Supervisor’s research interests

• Lipid membrane structure and dynamics
• Role of hydration in model and biological membranes
• Effects of membrane surrounding ions on its properties
• Interactions of Ab-peptides with lipid membranes
• Incorporation of amyloid-beta peptides into the membrane
• Neutron and X-ray scattering techniques
• Densitometry, calorimetry, fluorescence, optical methods

Research highlights

Closer look at modern problems of fluid membranes

Research approaches utilize unique on-site facilities:

• Raman spectroscopy on multimodal optical platform
• Neutron scattering on pulsed neutron reactor
• MD simulations on computer cluster

Research project is supported by Russian Science Foundation. Collaboration with Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Canada

Main publications

• Ivankov O.,…, Kučerka N.: Interactions in the model membranes mimicking preclinical conformational diseases; Advances in Biomembranes and Lipid Self-Assembly; Elsevier (2020).
• Kučerka N., Uhríková D.: Biophysical perspectives of lipid membranes through the optics of neutron and X-ray scattering; Biological Membranes; deGruyter (2019).
• Kučerka N., Gallová J., Uhríková D.: The Membrane Structure and Function Affected by Water; Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 221 (2019) 140-144.
• Kučerka N., …, Uhríková D.: Calcium and zinc differentially affect the structure of lipid membranes; Langmuir 33 (2017) 3134-3141.
• Kučerka N., …, Katsaras J.: Structural Significance of Lipid Diversity as Studied by Small Angle Neutron and X-ray Scattering; Membranes 5/3 (2015) 454-472.
• Drolle E., Kučerka N., …, Leonenko Z.: Effect of melatonin and cholesterol on the structure of DOPC and DPPC membranes; BBA 1828 (2013) 2247-2254.