Levels Of Complexity In Biological Membranes
Eric Jakobsson, Professor, Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Biochemistry, UIUC
Biological membranes, analyzed at the nanoscale, are among the most structurally complex bits of condensed matter known to science. They embody enormous dielectric heterogeneity at the nanoscale level of resolution. They exist in a complex smectic liquid crystal phase that has both solid and fluid properties. Because the molecular components are polymers with chemically varied building blocks, the space of potential molecular conformations is effectively infinite. This structural complexity at the nanoscale gives rise to the array of complex biological functionality demonstrated by membranes, including the patterned electrical activity associated with human thought. This talk will describe various approaches that our laboratory takes to develop reduced dimensional descriptions of membranes for purposes of simulation, data analysis, and biomimetic device design.
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