Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 21: Bioadhesion and Molecular Forces

AKB 21.2: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 9, 2004, 12:00–12:30, H40

Forces acting on Biological Model Systems — •Udo Seifert — II. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart, 70550 Stuttgart

An overview on our recent theoretical work about the effects of forces on three biological model systems will be given. (i) Forces acting on adhering vesicles lead to significant shape changes thereby inducing detachment of bound vesicles either by smooth deformations for weak adhesion or tether formation for strong adhesion [1]. (ii) Time-dependent forces acting on surfaces hold together by receptor/ligand pairs lead to rupture depending on the loading rate. For slow loading rebinding events become crucial [2]. (iii) For forces acting on a single biopolymer with two equilibrium configurations (like folded/ unfolded) the equilibrium energy landscape along the pulling co-ordinate can be reconstructed even from non-equilibrium experiment data by using the Jarzynksi relation.

[1] A. Smith, E. Sackmann and U. Seifert, Europhys. Lett. 64, 281, 2003.

[2] U. Seifert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2750, 2000; Europhys. Lett. 58, 792, 2002.

[3] O. Braun, A. Hanke and U. Seifert, in preparation.