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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Composite Network Of Actin And Microtubule Filaments, Self-Organization And Steady-State Dynamics, Leila Farhadi Dec 2020

Composite Network Of Actin And Microtubule Filaments, Self-Organization And Steady-State Dynamics, Leila Farhadi

Doctoral Dissertations

Actin and microtubule filaments, with their auxiliary proteins, enable the cytoskeleton to perform vital processes in the cell by tuning the organizational, mechanical properties and dynamics of the network. Despite their critical importance and interactions in cells, we are only beginning to uncover information about the composite network. Here, I use florescence microscopy to explore the role of filaments characteristics, interactions and activities in the self-organization and steady-state dynamics of the composite network of filaments. First, I discuss active self-organization of semiflexible actin and rigid microtubule filaments in the 2D composite network while myosin II and kinesin-1 motor proteins propel …


Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston Dec 2020

Controlled Membrane Remodeling By Nanospheres And Nanorods: Experiments Targeting The Design Principles For Membrane-Based Materials, Sarah Zuraw-Weston

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis we explore two experimental systems probing the interactions of nanoparticles with lipid bilayer membranes. Inspired by the ability of cell membranes to alter their shape in response to bound particles, we report two experimental studies: one of nanospheres the other of long, slender nano-rods binding to lipid bilayer vesicles and altering the membrane shape. Our work illuminates the role of particle geometry, particle concentration, adhesion strength and membrane tension in how membrane morphology is determined. We combine giant unilamellar vesicles with oppositely charged nanoparticles, carefully tuning adhesion strength, membrane tension and particle concentration. In the case of …


Probing Structure, Function And Dynamics In Bacterial Primary And Secondary Transporter-Associated Binding Proteins, Shantanu Shukla Dec 2020

Probing Structure, Function And Dynamics In Bacterial Primary And Secondary Transporter-Associated Binding Proteins, Shantanu Shukla

Doctoral Dissertations

Substrate binding proteins (SBPs) are ubiquitous in all life forms and have evolved to perform diverse physiological functions, such as in membrane transport, gene regulation, neurotransmission, and quorum sensing. It is quite astounding to observe such functional diversity among the SBPs even when they are restricted by their fold space. Therefore, the SBPs are an excellent set of proteins that can reveal how proteins evolution novel function in a structurally conserved/constrained fold. This study attempts to understand the phenomenon of affinity and specificity evolution in SBPs by combining a set of biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies on the SBPs involved …


Understanding The Fundamentals Of Ionic Conductivity In Polymer Electrolytes, Eric Wayne Stacy Dec 2020

Understanding The Fundamentals Of Ionic Conductivity In Polymer Electrolytes, Eric Wayne Stacy

Doctoral Dissertations

The rate of advancement for mobilized electronic technologies is outpacing the development of small efficient batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most widely used energy storage device for consumer electronics. Traditional lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte to separate the cathodes and anodes; however, conventional liquid electrolytes have inherent problems, such as consisting of flammable carbonate components, hazardous material, and have a significant cost/weight in the battery. In addition, the liquid electrolyte cannot prevent the growth of lithium dendrites during the charge/discharge cycle of the lithium-ion battery. These dendrites can connect the anode to the cathode of the battery cell …


Approaches To Studying Bacterial Biofilms In The Bioeconomy With Nanofabrication Techniques And Engineered Platforms., Michelle Caroline Halsted Dec 2020

Approaches To Studying Bacterial Biofilms In The Bioeconomy With Nanofabrication Techniques And Engineered Platforms., Michelle Caroline Halsted

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies that estimate more than 90% of bacteria subsist in a biofilm state to survive environmental stressors. These biofilms persist on man-made and natural surfaces, and examples of the rich biofilm diversity extends from the roots of bioenergy crops to electroactive biofilms in bioelectrochemical reactors. Efforts to optimize microbial systems in the bioeconomy will benefit from an improved fundamental understanding of bacterial biofilms. An understanding of these microbial systems shows promise to increase crop yields with precision agriculture (e.g. biosynthetic fertilizer, microbial pesticides, and soil remediation) and increase commodity production yields in bioreactors. Yet conventional laboratory methods investigate these micron-scale …


A Framework Of Multi-Dimensional And Multi-Scale Modeling With Applications, Zilong Li Jan 2020

A Framework Of Multi-Dimensional And Multi-Scale Modeling With Applications, Zilong Li

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, a framework for multi-dimensional and multi-scale modeling is proposed. The essential idea is based on oriented space curves, which can be represented as a 3D slender object or 1D step parameters. SMILES and Masks provide functionalities that extend slender objects into branched and other objects. We treat the conversion between 1D, 2D, 3D, and 4D representations as data unification. A mathematical analysis of different methods applied to helices (a special type of space curves) is also provided. Computational implementation utilizes Model-ViewController design principles to integrate data unification with graphical visualizations to create a dashboard. Applications of multi-dimensional …