Related papers: A statistical mechanical study of mechanical dual …
We consider mechanically generated molecular braids composed of two molecules where long range interactions between them can be considered to be very weak. We describe a model that takes account of the thermal fluctuations of the braid,…
In this paper we consider a physical system in which two DNA molecules braid about each other. The distance between the two molecular ends, on either side of the braid, is held at a distance much larger than supercoiling radius of the…
This paper extends on a recent work where it was shown that forces dependent on the helical structure may cause two DNA molecules to spontaneously braid [R. Cortini et Al, Biophys. J. 101, 875 (2011)]. Here, bending fluctuations of DNA…
The statistical physics and dynamics of double supported bilayers are studied theoretically. The main goal in designing double supported lipid bilayers is to obtain model systems of biomembranes: the upper bilayer is meant to be almost…
Dual mechanical braiding experiments provide a useful tool with which investigate the nature of interactions between rod-like molecules, for instance actin and DNA. In conditions close to molecular condensation, one would expect an…
This is a technical document that outlines a calculation of an electrostatic interaction energy between two rods, with charge helices on them, forming a braid. We deal here with screened electrostatics. A general braid geometry is…
The methods of statistical mechanics are applied to two-dimensional foams under macroscopic agitation. A new variable -- the total cell curvature -- is introduced, which plays the role of energy in conventional statistical thermodynamics.…
Braids composed of two interwoven polymer chains exhibit a buckling transition whose origin has been explained through the onset of plectonemic structures. Here we study, by a combination of simulation and analytics, the dynamics of…
We consider reversible breaking of adhesion bonds or folding of proteins under the influence of a constant external force. We discuss the stochastic properties of the unbinding/rebinding events and analyze their mean number and their…
Presented here, is a technical manuscript that may form the basis of later published work. In it, we develop a statistical mechanical model to describe a closed loop plectoneme, applicable for when the closed loop is sufficiently…
Friction is one of the fundamental issues in physics, mechanics and material science with lots of practical applications. However, the understanding of macroscopic friction phenomena from microscopic aspect is still on the way. In this…
In this work, we study in detail the distribution of stochastic forces generated by the molecular motors activity, in the actin cortex of pre-muscular cells. By combining active and passive rheology experiments, performed on the same…
By considering subexponential contributions in large deviation theory, we determine the fine structure in the probability distribution of the observable displacement of a bead coupled to a molecular motor. More generally, for any stochastic…
When animal groups move coherently in the form of a flock, their trajectories are not all parallel, the individuals exchange their position in the group. In this Letter we introduce a measure of this mixing dynamics, which we quantify as…
Biological membranes and vesicles play a central role in living systems, forming dynamic interfaces that regulate cellular organization and function. Classical descriptions of membrane mechanics that are rooted in equilibrium statistical…
In these Lecture Notes we aim at clarifying how soft matter physics, and herein notably statistical mechanics and fluid mechanics, can be engaged to understand and manipulate non-equilibrium systems consisting of numerous (microscopic)…
We study the dynamics of a flexible fiber freely moving in a three-dimensional fully-developed turbulent field and present a phenomenological theory to describe the interaction between the fiber elasticity and the turbulent flow. This…
The twisting deformation of mechanically stretched DNA molecules is studied by a coarse grained Hamiltonian model incorporating the fundamental interactions that stabilize the double helix and accounting for the radial and angular base pair…
We study theoretically the denaturation of single RNA molecules by mechanical stretching, focusing on signatures of the (un)folding pathway in molecular fluctuations. Our model describes the interactions between nucleotides by incorporating…
The simplest model of DNA mechanics describes the double helix as a continuous rod with twist and bend elasticity. Recent work has discussed the relevance of a little-studied coupling $G$ between twisting and bending, known to arise from…