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Mesoscopic Model of Actin-based Propulsions

Mathematical Biology

Speaker: Jie Zhu, UC Davis
Location: 2112 MSB
Start time: Mon, Nov 9 2009, 3:10PM

In order to study movements of actin-propelled beads, we use stochastic simulations of "in silico" actin network, in which microscopic individual actin filaments undergoing nucleation, elongation, attachment, detachment and capping are embedded in nodes-and-springs viscoelastic network representing macroscopic actin gel. Our study shows that the combined effects of macroscopic elastic deformation and microscopic ratchet are crucial for explanation of the observed force-velocity relations and orientations of the actin-propelled ellipsoidal beads.