Related papers: Ion Channels, Natural Nanovalves
Ion channels selectively transport ions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We propose a physical model based on the Driven Damped Harmonic Oscillator (DDHO), where self-organizing turbulent structures in the ionic flow generate…
The phase offset between surface charge modulation and geometric undulations in a corrugated nanochannel provides a tunable mechanism for rectified, diode-like ion transport under purely pressure-driven conditions: reversing the applied…
Three-terminal electrochemical ionic synapses (EIoS) have recently attracted interest for in-memory computing applications. These devices utilize electrochemical ion intercalation to modulate the ion concentration in the channel material.…
Potassium (K$^+$) channels regulate the flux of K$^+$ ions through cell membranes and plays significant roles in many physiological functions. This work studies the KcsA potassium channel, including the selectivity and current-voltage (IV)…
We solve a long-standing set of problems in optics and waves: why does a volume have only so many useful orthogonal wave channels in or out of it, why do coupling strengths fall off dramatically past this number, and, indeed, just what…
We investigate the interwoven dynamic evolutions of neutral nitrogen molecules together with nitrogen ions created through transient tunnel ionization in an intense laser field. By treating the molecules as open quantum systems, it is found…
We give an explicit formula for the membrane potential of cells in terms of the intracellular and extracellular ionic concentrations, and derive equations for the ionic currents that flow through channels, exchangers and electrogenic pumps…
Ionic Coulomb blockade in nanopores is a phenomenon that shares some similarities but also differences with its electronic counterpart. Here, we investigate extensively this phenomenon using all-atom molecular dynamics of ionic transport…
Ion transport in highly-confined space is important to various applications, such as biosensing and seawater desalination with nanopores. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to investigate the transport of Na$^+$ and…
We use Brownian dynamics simulations to study the permeation properties of a generic electrostatic model of a biological ion channel as a function of the fixed charge $Q_f$ at its selectivity filter. We reconcile the recently-discovered…
Unicellular organisms are open metabolic systems that need to process information about their external environment in order to survive. In most types of tissues and organisms, cells use calcium signaling to carry information from the…
Dielectric microstructures have been reported to have negative influences on perm-selective ion transportation because ions do not migrate in areas where the structures are located. However, the structure can promote the transportation if…
This work proposes a two-dimensional electrophysiological model for describing neuronal responses to external electric stimuli under patch-clamped conditions. Our proposed model successfully captures the key features of the Hodgkin-Huxley…
Fine-tuned ion transport across nanoscale pores is key to many biological processes such as neurotransmission. Recent advances have enabled the confinement of water and ions to two dimensions, unveiling transport properties unreachable at…
Cilia are ubiquitous organelles involves in eukaryotic motility. They are long, slender, and motile protrusions from the cell body. They undergo active regular oscillatory beating patterns that can propel cells, such as the algae…
Continuum simulations become an important tool to uncover the mysteries in nanofluidic experiments. However, fluid flow in simulation models is usually unconsidered. Here, systematical simulations are conducted to provide a quantitative…
Nanopores in solid state membranes are a tool able to probe nanofluidic phenomena or can act as a single molecular sensor. They also have diverse applications in filtration, desalination or osmotic power generation. Many of these…
The electronic and motional degrees of freedom of trapped ions can be controlled and coherently coupled on the level of individual quanta. Assembling complex quantum systems ion by ion while keeping this unique level of control remains a…
A discrete rate theory for general multi-ion channels is presented, in which the continuous dynamics of ion diffusion is reduced to transitions between Markovian discrete states. In an open channel, the ion permeation process involves three…
Dynamic fluctuations in hydrogen-bond network of water occur from femto- to nano-second timescale and provides insights into structural/dynamical aspects of water at ion-water interfaces. Employing terahertz spectroscopy assisted with…