Chapin Korosec (York University)

Date: Thu. April 10th, 2025, 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Location: Rockefeller 301

Michelson Postdoctoral Prize Colloquium

Modelling and engineering burnt-bridge ratchet molecular motors

Abstract: Molecular motors are protein-based machines essential for directional transport of cellular components. Nature has evolved many mechanisms for achieving directed motion on the subcellular level. The burnt-bridge ratchet (BBR) is one mechanism used to achieve superdiffusive molecular motion over long distances through the successive cleavage of surface-bound energy-rich substrate sites. The BBR mechanism is utilized throughout Nature: it can be found in bacteria, plants, insects, humans, as well as non-life forms such as influenza. Inspired by biology, we have synthesized and characterized a protein-based microscale motor we dub the lawnmower [1]. We find the lawnmower demonstrates saltatory motion where superdiffusive runs are interspersed with subdiffusive dynamics, with the system reaching average speeds of 80 nm/s. The lawnmower is the first example of an autonomous protein-based synthetic motor purpose-built using nonmotor protein components. In this talk, I will discuss the lawnmower system and its implementation in microfabricated tracks where we demonstrate it is capable of track-guided motion. I will also discuss our Langevin [2] and Gillespie [3] simulation approaches, where we seek to understand how BBR engineering principles alter particle dynamics. Our work provides insights into the mechanistic origin for the observed dynamics found in both synthetic and natural (e.g. Influenza) systems.