NER: Mechanically "Tuning" and "Switching" the Dynamics of Molecular Motors

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal was received in response to NSE, NSF 01-157. The research team will develop a broadly applicable conceptual framework to describe how tension on a DNA polymer can produce both the "tuning" and "switching" phenomena observed in DNA polymerase motors. This work entails developing theoretical models for the interaction of external forces with the conformational dynamics of the motor. It is also necessary to understand how molecular anisotropy in combination with the energy from a non-equilibrium chemical reaction biases Brownian fluctuations to drive the motor in a preferred direction. Like any nanoscale device, Brownian motors derive great benefit by working with rather than against thermal noise. In addition to constructing an appropriate theoretical framework and demonstrating its utility for the interpretation of single molecule experiments, the team hopes to translate insight gained from the study of biological motors to the design and control of engineered motors that perform specific functions at the nanoscale. The broad impact of this work is that it may not only shed new light on the mechanism by which DNA replication is controlled in cells but also lead to novel strategies for controlling molecular scale processes and the function of nanodevices. The project is jointly funded by the Divisions of Physics and Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and the Division of Electrical and Communications Systems in the Engineering Directorate.