Convergence Between Biology and Advanced Technology part I: Nuclear Pore Complex

Original Nuclear Pore animation is here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6374761646657730470

Original polymer brush animation is here:
http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/marko/thinlayer.html



TEXT:
FG-domains are natively unfolded and so they physically resemble simple polymer chains. When you get a whole bunch of them
together as you see in the NPC, measurments indicate that they are polymer brush-like.

Polymer brushes are common in technology and arise from the thermal motion of the molecular chains. Same in the Nuclear Pore Complex, this motion of FG-domains gives rise to a repulsive entropic force, giving rise to what is called an entropic barrier. That's how some propose the NPC prevents unwanted material from passing through. Being entropically dominated also means that it is unfavorable for the FG-domains to remain in the central channel if they get in there and would probably spring out whenever possible.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• molecular
• machines
• analogy
• nuclear
• pore
• complex
• evolution
• robot
• computer
• math
• electronics
• lovely
• gadget
• technology
• physics
• experiment
• mechanics
• robots
• lego
• chemistry
• lab