Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2009 APS March Meeting
Volume 54, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 16–20, 2009; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Session H3: New Frontiers in Biomolecular Physics |
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Sponsoring Units: DBP Chair: Dean Astumian, University of Maine Room: 301/302 |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 8:00AM - 8:36AM |
H3.00001: Are DNA transcription factor proteins Maxwellian Demons? Invited Speaker: This abstract is not available. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 8:36AM - 9:12AM |
H3.00002: The mechanism of load detection in the molecular motor myosin VI Invited Speaker: Myosin VI is thought to act as both a molecular transporter and as an anchor in vivo. Recent results demonstrate that a rigid isolated alpha helix extends the myosin VI lever arm, generating an unexpectedly large stroke size of approximately 30 nm. Here we use single-molecule fluorescence, optical trapping, and gold nanoparticle tracking to examine the role of the lever arm extension in both myosin VI translocation and anchoring. Our results suggest that the rigidity of this unusual structural element plays an essential role in load-induced anchoring. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:12AM - 9:48AM |
H3.00003: Full Counting Statistics for Brownian Sieves and Brownian Molecular Machines Invited Speaker: A Brownian sieve is a spatially periodic microstructured device that combines the effects of thermal noise, local spatial asymmetry, and external forces to separate particles based on their transport properties. By treating the motion of an individual particle as a cyclical process in which the particle fluctuates away from and returns to the origin of some unit cell I derive generalized fluctuation-dissipation and reciprocal relations for the averages (and for all moments) of the number of periodic displacements that are exact and valid for arbitrary values of the external forces. These relations hold not only for Brownian sieves, but for all molecular machines in which a nanoscale system couples two chemical, mechanical, or transport processes by a cycle in which the molecular machine itself fluctuates away from, and then returns to some arbitrary reference state, in the process doing or receiving work on or from the environment. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:48AM - 10:24AM |
H3.00004: Theory of protein misfolding and applications to misfolding diseases Invited Speaker: Physics-based algorithms can predict the misfolding mechanisms of proteins involved in aggregation-related diseases, including ALS and the Prion diseases. Predictions based on such an algorithm that we have developed, which employs both atomistic interactions and surface-area based coarse-graining, have been recently verified by immunological assays and point to diagnostic and therapeutic applications. I will describe the results of our misfolding theory, and discuss future directions towards drug research. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 10:24AM - 11:00AM |
H3.00005: Theoretical methods for engineering protein structure and function Invited Speaker: Designing and engineering proteins provides ways to probe the determinants of folding, to facilitate their study, and to arrive at novel molecules, materials and nanostructures. Recent computational methods for identifying the properties of proteins consistent with a desired structure and function will be discussed. Computationally designed protein-based molecular systems will be presented, including proteins tailored to accommodate nonbiological cofactors and their novel functional properties. [Preview Abstract] |
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