Speaker
Description
This project investigates bacteriorhodopsin (bR) embedded in lipid nanodisks as a potential light-activated nanoscale motor. Bacteriorhodopsin pumps ions when exposed to light, which we hypothesize will act as a source of propulsion for the nanodisks, in addition to their Brownian diffusion. We construct bR-nanodisk “particles” and study their motions in the absence and presence of light. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), we measure how photoactivation affects the diffusion of light-activated particles, compared to inactive controls. This study will help determine whether light can drive active motion at the nanoscale and contribute to a better understanding of nanoscale transport processes in biological and synthetic systems.
| Keyword-1 | Fluorescence |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | Diffusion |