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Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), formed via the self-assembly of oppositely charged polysaccharides, are highly valued for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and hydrophilicity, offering significant potential for biotechnological applications. However, the complex nature and lack of insight at a molecular level into polyelectrolytes conformation and aggregation often hinders the possibility of achieving an optimal control of PEC systems, limiting their practical applications. To address this problem, an in-depth investigation of PECs microscopic structural organization is required. In this work, for the first time, a hybrid approach that combines experimental techniques with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations is used to elucidate, at a molecular level, the mechanisms underlying the aggregation and structural organization of complexes formed by gellan and chitosan, i.e. PECs commonly used in food technology. This combined analysis reveals a two-step complexation process: gellan initially self-assembles into a double-helix structure, subsequently surrounded and stabilized by chitosan via electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, these results show that complexation preserves the individual conformation and intrinsic functionality of both polyelectrolytes, thereby ensuring the efficacy of the PECs in biotechnological applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent decades, scientific methodologies applied in theCultural Heritage field have been growing, due to their pivotal role in guiding informed decisions concerning conservation strategies and daily maintenance. To achieve this goal, minimally/non-invasive quantitative and qualitative analyses are needed. However, the non-invasive and selective identification of proteinaceous binders and coatings in artworks represent an open issue in Cultural Heritage science. Herein, a novel miniaturized system is introduced, which consists of a label-free electrochemical immunosensor integrated with biocompatible Gellan gel. This method is intended to selectively and minimally invasively identify ovalbumin (OVA) on-site in paintings. The label-free immunosensor is made up on screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) by functionalizing the working electrode (WE) with a primary antibody (anti-ovalbumin) for the specific recognition of OVA. The presence of OVA produces antigen-antibody reaction, which results in the development of a bulky immunocomplex on the WE. This complex is quantified using square wave voltammetry (SWV) and a reversible redox probe: the current measured is inversely proportional to the OVA concentrations. The developed immunosensors showed good analytical performances when applied directly to painted mock-ups, exhibiting a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.6 ng mL -1 , a limit of quantification (LOQ) equal to 16 ng mL -1 , a working range between 0.01 and 0.4 μg mL -1 and selectivity for OVA over other protein components commonly present in painted artworks, including bovine serum albumin (BSA), collagen, and casein. The outcomes highlighted the dependability of the immunosensor in detecting OVA and the efficacy of Gellan gel as a streamlined method for extracting the target protein while preventing residue accumulation on the painting surface. This advancement suggests the potential of Gellan gel-coupled immunosensor systems as viable diagnostic alternatives for artwork management and preservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest X- The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hydrogel-based cleaning of paper artworks is an increasingly widespread process in the cultural heritage field. However, the search for tuned (compatible, highly retentive and not perishable) hydrogels is a challenging open question. In this paper, a complete characterization of chemical hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) crosslinked with telechelic PVA and their remarkable performances as gels for cleaning paper artworks are reported. The rheological properties, porosity, water content of these gels were determined and analyzed as a function of the components concentration during synthesis. Due mechanical and retentive properties, the reported gels are optimum candidates for paper cleaning applications. The efficacy of these PVA-based gels has been demonstrated applying them on the surface of the sheets of several paper artworks, and characterizing the samples before and after the cleaning process by means of a multidisciplinary approach involving spectroscopic and chromatographic tests., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare no conflicts of interest and no competing financial interest, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)