Search results for "Quantitative Biology::Subcellular Processes"
showing 10 items of 97 documents
Flexible ferromagnetic filaments and the interface with biology
2009
Flexible ferromagnetic filaments are studied both theoretically and experimentally. Two main deformation modes of the filament at magnetic field inversion are theoretically described and observed experimentally by using DNA-linked chains of ferromagnetic particles. Anomalous orientation of ferromagnetic filaments perpendicular to AC field with a frequency which is high enough is predicted and confirmed experimentally. By experimental studies of magnetotactic bacteria it is demonstrated how these properties of ferromagnetic filaments may be used to measure the flexibility of the chain of magnetosomes.
Donnan phenomena in membranes with charge due to ion adsorption. Effects of the interaction between adsorbed charged groups
1993
A physical model for the modified Donnan phenomenon associated with ion adsorption on localized membrane sites is presented. This model accounts for the dependence of the concentration of adsorbed ions on electrolyte concentration and pH as it is influenced by the electrostatic interaction between adsorbed ions. The equilibrium thermodynamic concepts employed are based on the Donnan formalism for the ion equilibria between membrane and solution, and the Bragg–Williams approximation for an adsorption isotherm that incorported interaction between adsorbed ions. Our results include the concentration of charged groups in the membrane, the pH of the membrane phase solution, and the Donnan potent…
Topics on n-ary algebras
2011
We describe the basic properties of two n-ary algebras, the Generalized Lie Algebras (GLAs) and, particularly, the Filippov (or n-Lie) algebras (FAs), and comment on their n-ary Poisson counterparts, the Generalized Poisson (GP) and Nambu-Poisson (N-P) structures. We describe the Filippov algebra cohomology relevant for the central extensions and infinitesimal deformations of FAs. It is seen that semisimple FAs do not admit central extensions and, moreover, that they are rigid. This extends the familiar Whitehead's lemma to all $n\geq 2$ FAs, n=2 being the standard Lie algebra case. When the n-bracket of the FAs is no longer required to be fully skewsymmetric one is led to the n-Leibniz (or…
Logic Functions with Stimuli-Responsive Single Nanopores
2014
[EN] We present the concept of logic functions based on a single stimuli-responsive nanopore and analyze its potential for electrochemical transducers and actuators. The responsive molecules at the surface of the polymeric nanopore immersed in an electrolyte solution are sensitive to thermal, chemical, electrical, and optical stimuli, which are the input signals required to externally tune the conductance of the nanopore (the logical output). A single nanostructure can be operated as a resistor or as a diode with a broad range of rectifying properties, allowing for logical information-processing schemes that are useful pH and temperature sensors, electro-optical detectors, and electrochemic…
Stimuli-responsive hybrid materials: breathing in magnetic layered double hydroxides induced by a thermoresponsive molecule
2014
[EN] A hybrid magnetic multilayer material of micrometric size, with highly crystalline hexagonal crystals consisting of CoAl-LDH ferromagnetic layers intercalated with thermoresponsive 4-(4-anilinophenylazo)benzenesulfonate (AO5) molecules diluted (ratio 9 : 1) with a flexible sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) surfactant has been obtained. The resulting material exhibits thermochromism attributable to the isomerization between the azo (prevalent at room temperature) and the hydrazone (favoured at higher temperatures) tautomers, leading to a thermomechanical response. In fact, these crystals exhibited thermally induced motion triggering remarkable changes in the crystal morphology and volume. In…
Dynamical properties of myoglobin in an ultraviscous water-glycerol solvent investigated with elastic neutron scattering and FTIR spectroscopy
2018
Abstract Proteins have distinctive dynamical properties, characterized by the fluctuations of protein molecules among the different minima of their energy landscape. These fluctuations, progressively activated for temperature values larger than ~180 K, lead to a steep increase in the temperature dependence of all measurable dynamical properties. This phenomenon is known as Protein Dynamical Transition and, in spite of the intense studies due to its importance in protein function and to the relation with the fascinating fundamental thermodynamics of complex systems, many aspects of it are not yet clearly understood. Among these, the relationship with the properties of the external solvent an…
Synthetic nanopores with fixed charges: An electrodiffusion model for ionic transport
2003
Synthetic nanopores with fixed charges exhibit ionic equilibrium and transport properties that resemble those displayed by biological ion channels. We present an electrodiffusion model based on the Nernst-Planck flux equations, which allows for a qualitative description of the steady state ionic transport through a nanopore when the membrane fixed charges and all mobile carriers (including the water ions) are properly taken into account. In particular, we study the current-voltage curve, the electrical conductance, the reversal potential (a measure of the nanopore ionic selectivity), as well as the flux inhibition by protons and divalent cations in the nanopore. The model clearly shows how …
Deformation of flexible ferromagnetic filaments under a rotating magnetic field
2019
Research on magnetic particles dispersed in a fluid medium, actuated by a rotating magnetic field, is becoming increasingly active for both lab-on-chip and bio-sensing applications. In this study, we experimentally investigate the behaviour of ferromagnetic filaments in a rotating field. Filaments are synthesized by linking micron-sized ferromagnetic particles with DNA strands. The experiments were conducted under different magnetic field strengths, frequencies and filament sizes, and deformation of the filaments was registered via microscope and camera. The results obtained showed that the body deformation is larger for longer filaments and higher frequencies and lower for larger magnetic …
Mechanical and Thermal Stability of Adhesive Membranes with Nonzero Bending Rigidity
2010
Membranes at a microscopic scale are affected by thermal fluctuations and self-adhesion due to van der Waals forces. Methods to prepare membranes of even molecular scale, e.g., graphene, have recently been developed, and the question of their mechanical and thermal stability is of crucial importance. To this end we modeled microscopic membranes with an attractive interaction and applied Langevin dynamics. Their behavior was also analyzed under external loading. Even though these membranes folded during isotropic compression as a result of energy minimization, the process at high confinement was similar to crumpling of macroscopic nonadhesive sheets. The main difference appeared when the com…
Elastic Properties and Line Tension of Self-Assembled Bilayer Membranes
2013
The elastic properties of a self-assembled bilayer membrane are studied using the self-consistent field theory, applied to a model system composed of flexible amphiphilic chains dissolved in hydrophilic polymeric solvents. Examining the free energy of bilayer membranes with different geometries allows us to calculate their bending modulus, Gaussian modulus, two fourth-order membrane moduli, and the line tension. The dependence of these parameters on the microscopic characteristics of the amphiphilic chain, characterized by the volume fraction of the hydrophilic component, is systematically studied. The theoretical predictions are compared with the results from a simple monolayer model, whic…