Related papers: Force-induced rupture of a DNA duplex
We investigate the voltage-driven transport of hybridized DNA through membrane channels. As membrane channels are typically too narrow to accommodate hybridized DNA, the dehybridization of the DNA is the critical rate limiting step in the…
We investigate the delayed rupture of biopolymer gels under a constant shear load by simultaneous dynamic light scattering and rheology measurements. We unveil the crucial role of normal stresses built up during gelation: all samples that…
A DNA polymerase (DNAP) replicates a template DNA strand. It also exploits the template as the track for its own motor-like mechanical movement. In the polymerase mode it elongates the nascent DNA by one nucleotide in each step. But,…
Nanoscale molecular systems such as DNA require an atomistic quantum treatment to accurately capture their electrical properties, owing to their small dimensions. A central challenge in modeling transport through these systems is the…
Fatigue simulation requires accurate modeling of unloading and reloading. However, classical ductile damage models treat deformations after complete failure as irrecoverable -- which leads to unphysical behavior during unloading. This…
We characterize the equilibrium thermodynamics of a thick polymer confined in a spherical region of space. This is used to gain insight into the DNA packaging process. The experimental reference system for the present study is the recent…
The recently proposed compressed backbone theory suggested that the intrinsic curvature in DNA can result from a geometric mismatch between the specific backbone length and optimal base stacking orientations. It predicted that the curvature…
We report complex plasma experiments, assisted by numerical simulations, providing an alternative qualitative link between the macroscopic response of polycrystalline solid matter to small shearing forces and the possible underlying…
We study hairpin folding dynamics by means of extensive computer simulations, with particular attention paid to the influence of helicity on the folding time $\tau$. We find that the dynamical exponent $\alpha$ of the anomalous scaling…
We analyze the failure process of a two-component system with widely different fracture strength in the framework of a fiber bundle model with localized load sharing. A fraction 0\leq \alpha \leq 1 of the bundle is strong and it is…
When subject to applied strain, fiber networks exhibit nonlinear elastic stiffening. Recent theory and experiements have shown that this phenomenon is controlled by an underlying mechanical phase transition that is critical in nature.…
The most direct measurement of adhesion is the pull-off force, i.e. the tensile force necessary to separate two solids in contact. For a given interface, it depends on various experimental parameters, including separation speed, contact age…
While the thermodynamics of DNA hybridization is well understood, much less is known about the kinetics of this classic system. Filling this gap in our understanding has new urgency because DNA nanotechnology often depends critically on…
Curvatures in the most probable rupture force ($f^*$) versus log-loading rate ($\log{r_f}$) observed in dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS) on biomolecular complexes are interpreted using a one-dimensional free energy profile with multiple…
DNA has immense potential as an emerging data storage medium. The principle of DNA storage is the conversion and flow of digital information between binary code stream, quaternary base, and actual DNA fragments. This process will inevitably…
Circular double stranded DNA has different topological states which are defined by their linking numbers. Equilibrium distribution of linking numbers can be obtained by closing a linear DNA into a circle by ligase. Using Monte Carlo…
Crack nucleation is a ubiquitous phenomena during materials failure, because stress focuses on crack tips. It is known that exceptions to this general rule arise in the limit of strong disorder or vanishing mechanical stability, where…
Functionalization of nanoparticles or colloids is increasingly being used to develop customizable "atoms". Functionalization by attaching single strands of DNA allows for direct control of the binding between nanoparticles, since…
Coarse-grained models have played an important role in the study of the behavior of DNA at length scales beyond a few hundred base pairs. Traditionally, these models have relied on structurally featureless and sequence-independent…
By exerting mechanical force it is possible to unfold/refold RNA molecules one at a time. In a small range of forces, an RNA molecule can hop between the folded and the unfolded state with force-dependent kinetic rates. Here, we introduce a…