Strain Distributions and Structural Changes in Motor Driven Gels (Final Report)
The goal of this project was to study the effects of DNA-based, force-generating motor proteins on the structure and dynamics of a DNA hydrogel. Motor proteins are nanoscale transducers, converting chemical energy embedded in the solution into local mechanical work on hydrogel strands, and thus potentially driving structural changes and/or non-equilibrium dynamics within the gel material. To explore this, we used self-assembly to create condensed DNA phases, and activated the phases with proteins. The specific aim was to study the deformations (strain fields) generated within a DNA gel by motor forces. We succeeded in this aim, developing methods to experimentally create gel/motor systems, and measure strain with high spatio-temporal resolution. A key finding was that simple continuum strain-field models fail to describe the data. A second major outcome was the development of novel models of hydrogel elasticity incorporating solvent effects that can be used to model dynamic motor-driven strains. A third major outcome was to learn how to control the phase and structure of condensed DNA particles, including both liquid-crystalline behavior, and the formation of DNA liquids.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0014427
- OSTI ID:
- 1509714
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-UCSB-0014427
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Resilient Hydrogels from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale
Alternative (Potentially Green) Separations Media: Aqueous Biphasic and Related Systems Extending the Frontier Final Report For Period September 1, 2002 January 31, 2007