Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly

<p>Biological systems are encountered in states that are far from equilibrium. A change in the cell's condition triggers the flow of energy and matter that causes the cell's transition from that non-equilibrium state to a different state. Our interest is on non-equilibrium systems an...

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Main Author: Seitaridou, Effrosyni
Format: Others
Published: 2008
Online Access:https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1806/1/Seitaridou_thesis.pdf
Seitaridou, Effrosyni (2008) Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/X12R-DA46. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003>
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spelling ndltd-CALTECH-oai-thesis.library.caltech.edu-18062020-02-01T03:03:31Z Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly Seitaridou, Effrosyni <p>Biological systems are encountered in states that are far from equilibrium. A change in the cell's condition triggers the flow of energy and matter that causes the cell's transition from that non-equilibrium state to a different state. Our interest is on non-equilibrium systems and the way these relate to the cell's "small numbers" limit as well as to the mechanisms of self-assembly.</p> <p>Cells contain proteins and nucleotides in numbers smaller than Avogadro's. In addition, advances in single-molecule experiments, which are, by definition, a case of the "small numbers" problem, have emphasized the importance of fluctuations. Does the result we get from a single-molecule measurement agree with what we would get from a bulk measurement? Is it a fluctuation from the mean? It is, thus, of biological interest to see the behavior of non-equilibrium systems at the "small numbers" limit where fluctuations become important. Using microfluidics, we concentrate on the diffusion of a small number of submicron particles in a system that is away from equilibrium. Therefore, we study the "small numbers" limit of Fick's Law, with special reference to the fluctuations that attend diffusive dynamics in order to experimentally test the theoretical predictions obtained via the use of E. T. Jaynes' "principle of maximum caliber."</p> <p>The process of macromolecular self-assembly is also highly dynamical. The system's components come together, defeating in this way entropic effects, to form the system. In the case of the ribosome, whose importance lies in its ability to synthesize proteins, understanding the mechanism of the highly dimensional process of self-assembly becomes relevant when designing, for example, new antibiotics. The second part of this thesis concentrates on the RNA-protein interactions which, in the case of the ribosome, determine the mechanism of self-assembly. With the use of microfluidic technology and a fluorescence assay we determine the thermodynamics and kinetics of RNA folding and RNA-protein binding for a fragment of the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, paving the way for the study of the complete assembly of the 30S subunit.</p> 2008 Thesis NonPeerReviewed application/pdf https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1806/1/Seitaridou_thesis.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003 Seitaridou, Effrosyni (2008) Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/X12R-DA46. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003> https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1806/
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description <p>Biological systems are encountered in states that are far from equilibrium. A change in the cell's condition triggers the flow of energy and matter that causes the cell's transition from that non-equilibrium state to a different state. Our interest is on non-equilibrium systems and the way these relate to the cell's "small numbers" limit as well as to the mechanisms of self-assembly.</p> <p>Cells contain proteins and nucleotides in numbers smaller than Avogadro's. In addition, advances in single-molecule experiments, which are, by definition, a case of the "small numbers" problem, have emphasized the importance of fluctuations. Does the result we get from a single-molecule measurement agree with what we would get from a bulk measurement? Is it a fluctuation from the mean? It is, thus, of biological interest to see the behavior of non-equilibrium systems at the "small numbers" limit where fluctuations become important. Using microfluidics, we concentrate on the diffusion of a small number of submicron particles in a system that is away from equilibrium. Therefore, we study the "small numbers" limit of Fick's Law, with special reference to the fluctuations that attend diffusive dynamics in order to experimentally test the theoretical predictions obtained via the use of E. T. Jaynes' "principle of maximum caliber."</p> <p>The process of macromolecular self-assembly is also highly dynamical. The system's components come together, defeating in this way entropic effects, to form the system. In the case of the ribosome, whose importance lies in its ability to synthesize proteins, understanding the mechanism of the highly dimensional process of self-assembly becomes relevant when designing, for example, new antibiotics. The second part of this thesis concentrates on the RNA-protein interactions which, in the case of the ribosome, determine the mechanism of self-assembly. With the use of microfluidic technology and a fluorescence assay we determine the thermodynamics and kinetics of RNA folding and RNA-protein binding for a fragment of the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit, paving the way for the study of the complete assembly of the 30S subunit.</p>
author Seitaridou, Effrosyni
spellingShingle Seitaridou, Effrosyni
Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
author_facet Seitaridou, Effrosyni
author_sort Seitaridou, Effrosyni
title Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
title_short Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
title_full Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
title_fullStr Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
title_full_unstemmed Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly
title_sort non-equilibrium dynamics: diffusion in small numbers and ribosomal self-assembly
publishDate 2008
url https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1806/1/Seitaridou_thesis.pdf
Seitaridou, Effrosyni (2008) Non-Equilibrium Dynamics: Diffusion in Small Numbers and Ribosomal Self-Assembly. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/X12R-DA46. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05142008-113003>
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