Holly Goodson (University of Notre Dame): Developing a Multi-Scale Understanding of Energy-Utilizing Polymers

Title: Developing a Multi-Scale Understanding of Energy-Utilizing Polymers

Speaker: Holly Goodson, University of Notre Dame

Hosted by: Wolfgang Losert

Abstract:

The cytoskeleton is a dynamic network of protein-based polymers and associated molecules that use chemical energy to generate force, perform work, and organize the rest of the cell.  We are using a combination of experiments and simulations to develop a multi-scale, predictive understanding of the behaviors of cytoskeletal energy-utilizing polymers (e.g., microtubules and actin). Questions include: How does the biochemistry of the subunits relate to the behaviors of the individual filaments and the bulk polymer? How do microtubules (which display a surprising behavior termed dynamic instability) differ from actin filaments (which display a very different behavior termed treadmilling)? How do filament binding proteins work, and work together, to regulate these behaviors?