University of Washington Applied Mathematics Graduate Student
While there are already many accepted mathematical models that describe the motion of molecular motors, most of these models deal only with individual motors. We propose to explore the cooperation between molecular motors by examining a system of several motors that do not explicitly interact with each other but do all interact with a common barrier. In particular, we will investigate a system of several polymers interacting with a moving wall. Studying the interaction between the polymers and the moving wall will allow us to quantify the cooperation between the polymers in a system of this type.
In this talk I will present a brief introduction to molecular motors, the basic set-up of the polymer system, a technique for simulation, and preliminary results from the mathematical model.