Navigation Links
Electric charge disorder: A key to biological order?
Date:4/30/2012

Theoretical physicist Ali Naji from the IPM in Tehran and the University of Cambridge, UK, and his colleagues have shown how small random patches of disordered, frozen electric charges can make a difference when they are scattered on surfaces that are overall neutral. These charges induce a twisting force that is strong enough to be felt as far as nanometers or even micrometers away. These results, about to be published in EPJ E (1), could help to understand phenomena that occurr on surfaces such as those of large biological molecules.

To measure the strength of the twist that acts on a randomly charged surface, the authors used a sphere which was mounted like a spinning top next to a randomly charged flat substrate. Because small amounts of positive and negative charges were spread in a disordered mosaic throughout both surfaces, they induced transient attractive or repulsive twisting forces. This was regardless of the surfaces' overall electrical neutrality, thus making the sphere spin. Using statistical averaging methods, the authors studied the fluctuations of these forces.

The authors found that the twisting force, created by virtue of the disorder of surface charges, is expected to be much stronger and far-reaching than the remnant forces. The latter are always present, even in the absence of charge disorder, and are due to fluctuations at the atomic and molecular levels.

This could have implications for large randomly charged surfaces such as biological macromolecules, which may be exposed to strong electrostatic forces, inducing attraction and/or repulsion, even if they carry no overall net charge. For instance, this phenomenon could partly explain biological pattern recognition, such as lock and key phenomena. In that context, the twisting force could explain the attraction between biological macromolecules that lead to pre-alignment prior to their interaction.


'/>"/>

Contact: Janine Haubenreisser
janine.haubenreisser@springer.com
49-622-148-78414
Springer
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1

Related biology news :

1. Greenhouse gas auction revenues can help cut Md. electric use significantly, says study
2. California study shows shade trees reduce summertime electricity use
3. UCLA stem cells scientists make electrically active motor neurons from iPS cells
4. Novel electric signals in plants
5. New renewables to power 40 per cent of global electricity demand by 2050
6. GOCEs electric ion propulsion engine switched on
7. Wastewater produces electricity and desalinates water
8. Electrical circuit runs entirely off power in trees
9. Clemson researchers study energy savings with electric cars and IntelliDrive technology
10. 24-carat gold snowflakes improve graphenes electrical properties
11. Carnegie Mellon researchers save electricity with low-power processors and flash memory
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/23/2013)... Neuron , the team reveal the interplay of ... funded by the Wellcome Trust and BBSRC. , ... we improve our perceptual abilities. While these changes can ... also affect the fidelity of that response. ... explains: "When you communicate with others, you can make ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... Screening Trial (NLST) investigators also conclude that the ... low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus chest X-ray (CXR) ... is achievable at experienced screening centers in the ... to share with their patients about the benefits ... today,s publication in the New England Journal ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... engineers must join together in a major new effort ... crisis in providing Earth,s people with clean water that ... of a comment article in the current edition of ... of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world,s largest ... Sedlak, Ph.D., and Jerald L. Schnoor, Ph.D., explain that ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):NLST: CT detects twice as many lung cancers as X-ray at initial screening exam 2NLST: CT detects twice as many lung cancers as X-ray at initial screening exam 3
... and accurately distinguish species based on a simple DNA ... in the war against a major global disease. ... Biodiversity Foundation, is pioneering the use of DNA "barcodes" ... spread lymphatic filariasis (LF), commonly known as elephantiasis. Using ...
... some kinds of memories for a lifetime. But when ... gray matter also creates temporary memories that help us ... memories exist. For decades, scientists have held that such ... imprecise over the course of several seconds. Now ...
... a practiced eye and Google Earth all played ... fossils that may shed light on the origins ... story, featuring University of Michigan paleontologists Philip Gingerich, ... of a segment on the award-winning television series ...
Cached Biology News:DNA barcoding of mosquito species deployed in bid to end elephantiasis 2DNA barcoding of mosquito species deployed in bid to end elephantiasis 3DNA barcoding of mosquito species deployed in bid to end elephantiasis 4Some short-term memories die suddenly, no fading 2Google Earth aids discovery of early African mammal fossils 2Google Earth aids discovery of early African mammal fossils 3
(Date:5/24/2013)... (PRWEB) May 24, 2013 The Oklahoma ... And following its ravage, the mayor of Moore, one of ... new houses, said a report from cnn.com. Reaching out to ... victims complimentary Molderizer and Safe Shield to counter the looming ... report published on May 22, 2013, caused 24 deaths, My ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Arbor, Mich. Every day, their baby stopped breathing, ... to his lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo watched helplessly, ... , "Quite a few doctors said he had a ... April Gionfriddo, about her now 20-month-old son, Kaiba. "At ... we would take it and run with it." , ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces a ... in stainless steel pillow blocks. This series combines ... the application and installation versatility of pillow blocks. ... work exceptionally well when submerged in water, water-soluble ... as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and liquid ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013 The maker community is a ... inventions. They focus on learning practical skills while applying ... toward bringing their ideas to life via crowdfunding. A ... on making projects using biology. Glowing Plant has worked ... make them glow with bioluminescence genes, and has now ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Mayor of Oklahoma-Tornado-Impaired Town Proposes Storm Shelter Bill, My Cleaning Products Offers Complimentary Molderizer and Safe Shield to Help Victim with Looming Mold 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 3Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 2Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 3Glowing Plant Releases Maker Kit, Enabling Anyone to Make a Glowing Plant at Home 2
... 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Mr. Pierre,Fitzgibbon, President and Chief ... "Company", TSX: ATB) today announced changes to the,management ... by Mr.,Richard Bordeleau, President of the Health & ... pursue news challenges. However, Mr. Bordeleau,will continue to ...
... Audio Webcast Tuesday, September 11, 2007, SAN DIEGO, ... announced today that Neurocrine Biosciences will,present at the Bear ... 11, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET),/7:30 a.m. ... may be accessed on the Company,s website at, http://www.neurocrine.com ...
... the Treatment of Opioid ... ... (Nasdaq: NKTR ) presented results today at the American ... 1 trial of NKTR-118 (oral PEG-naloxol). NKTR-118 is Nektar,s,proprietary investigational ...
Cached Biology Technology:Atrium Innovations Announces Management Changes 2Nektar Presents Positive Results from Phase 1 Clinical Trial of NKTR-118 (oral PEG-naloxol) at American College of Clinical Pharmacology Meeting 2Nektar Presents Positive Results from Phase 1 Clinical Trial of NKTR-118 (oral PEG-naloxol) at American College of Clinical Pharmacology Meeting 3Nektar Presents Positive Results from Phase 1 Clinical Trial of NKTR-118 (oral PEG-naloxol) at American College of Clinical Pharmacology Meeting 4Nektar Presents Positive Results from Phase 1 Clinical Trial of NKTR-118 (oral PEG-naloxol) at American College of Clinical Pharmacology Meeting 5
Mouse monoclonal antibody raised against a partial recombinant COG2. NCBI Entrez Gene ID = COG2...
Mouse polyclonal antibody raised against a partial recombinant IFNA13. NCBI Entrez Gene ID = 3447...
Mouse monoclonal antibody raised against a full length recombinant LDB3. NCBI Entrez Gene ID = LDB3...
Mouse polyclonal antibody raised against a partial recombinant NCLN. NCBI Entrez Gene ID = 56926...
Biology Products: