Lecturer:  Daniel Harries, Institute of Chemistry and the Fritz Haber Research Center, The Hebrew
University

Abstract:
Crowding and confinement are common in biological and soft matter systems, where they
reshape molecular interactions and assembly processes. While depletion forces are
traditionally viewed as entropy-driven effects of excluded volume, growing evidence reveals
significant energetic contributions that challenge this classical view.
This talk will explore how crowders such as polymers affect protein folding and
oligomerization in ways not captured by idealized models. I’ll present theoretical
developments that account for soft interactions and crowder properties, offering a revised
picture of crowding in a responsive and complex environment.