Related papers: Mechanosensitive ion channels: Old but new
Although there are theoretical studies on the thermodynamics of ion channels, an investigation involving the thermodynamics of coupled channels has not been proposed. To overcome this issue, we developed calculations to present a…
Ion transport through narrow water--filled channels is impeded by a high electrostatic barrier. The latter originates from the large ratio of the dielectric constants of the water and a surrounding media. We show that ``doping'', i.e.…
Nanofluidic transport is ubiquitous in natural systems from extra-cellular communication in biology to geological phenomena, and promotes the emergence of new technologies such as energy harvesting and water desalination. While experimental…
A quantized physical framework, called the five-anchor model, is developed for a general understanding of the working mechanism of ion channels. According to the hypotheses of this model, the following two basic physical principles are…
By performing an ensemble of molecular dynamics simulations, the model-dependent ionisation state is computed for strongly interacting systems self-consistently. This is accomplished through a free energy minimisation framework based on the…
The appealing feature of molecular electronics is the possibility of exploiting functionality built within a single molecule. This functionality can be employed, for example, for sensing or switching purposes. Thus, ideally, the associated…
Many of the most important processes in cells take place on and across membranes. With the rise of an impressive array of powerful quantitative methods for characterizing these membranes, it is an opportune time to reflect on the structure…
Graphene, the atomically-thin honeycomb carbon lattice, is a highly conducting 2D material whose exposed electronic structure offers an ideal platform for sensing. Its biocompatible, flexible, and chemically inert nature associated to the…
Ion channels are membrane proteins responsible for an enormous range of biological functions. Ion selectivity and permeation are based on simple laws of physics and chemistry. Ion channels are therefore ideal candidates for physical…
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…
Understanding how molecular machines transduce mechanical force into chemical signals is a central goal in chemistry. The mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 is an archetypal nanoscale mechanotransducer, but the molecular principles by…
Molecular Dynamics simulations of water molecules in nanometre sized cylindrical channels connecting two reservoirs show that the permeation of water is very sensitive to the channel radius and to electric polarization of the embedding…
With the ability to selectively control ionic flux, biological protein ion channels perform a fundamental role in many physiological processes. For practical applications that require the functionality of a biological ion channel, graphene…
Molecular communication (MC) is a new communication engineering paradigm where molecules are employed as information carriers. MC systems are expected to enable new revolutionary applications such as sensing of target substances in…
Particle channeling in a bent crystal lattice has led to an efficient instrument for beam steering at accelerators, demonstrated from MeV to TeV energies. In particular, crystal focusing of high energy protons to micron size has been…
Ionic transport in nanopores or nanochannels is key to many cellular processes and is now being explored as a method for DNA/polymer sequencing and detection. Although apparently simple in its scope, the study of ionic dynamics in confined…
A comprehensive description of molecular electron transfer reactions is essential for our understanding of fundamental phenomena in bio-energetics and molecular electronics. Experimental studies of molecular systems in condensed-phase…
In living organisms, information is processed in interconnected symphonies of ionic currents spiking through protein ion channels. As a result of dynamically switching their conductive states, ion channels exhibit a variety of…
The effect of fluctuations on the conductivity of ion channels is investigated. It is shown that modulation of the potential barrier at the selectivity site due to electrostatic amplification of charge fluctuations at the channel mouth…
Ion channels form pores across the lipid bilayer, selectively allowing inorganic ions to cross the membrane down their electrochemical gradient. While the study of ion desolvation free-energies have attracted much attention, the role of…