Cell images

Kinesin-8 effects on mitotic microtubule dynamics contribute to spindle function in fission yeast

April 28, 2016

To better understand the role of kinesin-8 proteins in mitosis, we have studied the effects of deletion of the fission-yeast kinesin-8 proteins Klp5 and Klp6 on chromosome movements and spindle length dynamics.

Phase diagram

Phase-plane analysis of the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with binding kinetics and switching between antiparallel lanes

April 3, 2016

Inspired by experiments on the motion of kinesin-4 motors on antiparallel microtubule overlaps, we analyze a model incorporating the TASEP on two antiparallel lanes with binding kinetics and lane switching.

Filaments and motor image

Microscopic origins of anisotropic active stress in motor-driven nematic liquid crystals

Nov. 23, 2015

We study a physical model of filaments, crosslinking motors, and static crosslinkers to dissect the microscopic mechanisms of active stress generation in a two-dimensional system of orientationally aligned rods.

Simulation snapshot

Multiscale modeling and simulation of microtubule/motor protein assemblies

Oct. 7, 2015

Microscopic motor activity causes polarity-dependent interactions between motor proteins and microtubules in reconstituted cytoskeletal active matter.

Phase diagram

Hysteresis, reentrance, and glassy dynamics in systems of self-propelled rods

Sept. 30, 2015

Non-equilibrium active matter made up of self-driven particles with short-range repulsive interactions exhibits collective motion and nonequilibrium order-disorder transitions.

Model cartoon

Motor protein accumulation on antiparallel microtubule overlaps

Sept. 24, 2015

Biopolymers serve as one-dimensional tracks on which motor proteins move. These phenomena have inspired theoretical models of one-dimensional transport, crowding, and jamming.

Schematic of nuclear pore complex

The molecular mechanism of nuclear transport revealed by atomic-scale measurements

Sept. 15, 2015

We used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to show that FG repeats are highly dynamic IDPs, stabilized by the cellular environment. Fast transport is supported because the rapid dynamics of transport factor-FG interactions.

Model cartoon

Multiscale polar theory of microtubule and motor-protein assemblies

Jan. 30, 2015

Microtubules and motor proteins can form new “bioactive” liquid-crystalline fluids that are intrinsically out of equilibrium and which display complex flows and defect dynamics.

model cartoon

Regulation of chromosome speeds in mitosis

Sept. 6, 2013

When chromosomes are being separated in preparation for cell division, their motions are slow relative to the speed at which many motor enzymes can move their cellular cargoes and at which microtubules depolymerize.

data plot

Biophysics of filament length regulation by molecular motors

April 16, 2013

Regulating physical size is an essential problem that biological organisms must solve, but it is not well understood what physical principles and mechanisms organisms use to sense and regulate their size.

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