Single-Molecule Observation of Anomalous Electrohydrodynamic Orientation of Microtubules

We use fluorescence microscopy to measure the orientation and shape of microtubules—which serve as a model system for semiflexible rods—that are electrophoretically driven. Surprisingly, a bimodal orientation distribution is observed, with microtubules in either parallel or perpendicular orientations to the electric field. The occupancy of these...

Conformation and Dynamics of DNA Confined in Slitlike Nanofluidic Channels

Using laser fluorescence microscopy, we study the shape and dynamics of individual DNA molecules in slitlike nanochannels confined to a fraction of their bulk radius of gyration. With a confinement size spanning 2 orders of magnitude, we observe a transition from the de Gennes regime to the Odijk regime in the scaling of both the radius of...

Triplet Josephson Effect with Magnetic Feedback in a Superconductor-Ferromagnet Heterostructure

Motor step size and ATP coupling efficiency of the dsDNA translocase EcoR124I

The Type I restriction-modification enzyme EcoR124I is an archetypical helicase-based dsDNA translocase that moves unidirectionally along the 3'–5' strand of intact duplex DNA. Using a combination of ensemble and single-molecule measurements, we provide estimates of two physicochemical constants that are fundamental to a full description of...

Nuclear Tuning and Detuning of the Electron Spin Resonance in a Quantum Dot: Theoretical Consideration

We study nuclear spin dynamics in a quantum dot close to the conditions of electron spin resonance. We show that at a small frequency mismatch, the nuclear field detunes the resonance. Remarkably, at larger frequency mismatch, its effect is opposite: The nuclear system is bistable, and in one of the stable states, the field accurately tunes the...

End-joining long nucleic acid polymers

Many experiments involving nucleic acids require the hybridization and ligation of multiple DNA or RNA molecules to form a compound molecule. When one of the constituents is single stranded, however, the efficiency of ligation can be very low and requires significant individually tailored optimization. Also, when the molecules involved are very...

Modeling and simulation of phase-transitions in multicomponent aluminum alloy casting

The casting process of aluminum products involves the spatial distribution of alloying elements. It is essential that these elements are uniformly distributed in order to guarantee reliable and consistent products. This requires a good understanding of the main physical mechanisms that affect the solidification, in particular the thermodynamic...

An RNA toolbox for single-molecule force spectroscopy studies

Precise, controllable single-molecule force spectroscopy studies of RNA and RNA-dependent processes have recently shed new light on the dynamics and pathways of RNA folding and RNAenzyme interactions. A crucial component of this research is the design and assembly of an appropriate RNA construct. Such a construct is typically subject to several...

Real-time assembly and disassembly of human RAD51 filaments on individual DNA molecules

The human DNA repair protein RAD51 is the crucial component of helical nucleoprotein filaments that drive homologous recombination. The molecular mechanistic details of how this structure facilitates the requisite DNA strand rearrangements are not known but must involve dynamic interactions between RAD51 and DNA. Here, we report the real-time...

Stimulated terahertz stokes emission of silicon crystals doped with antimony donors

Cl2/O2-inductively coupled plasma etching of deep hole-type photonic crystals in InP

Full counting statistics of noncommuting variables: The case of spin counts

Charge inversion at high ionic strength studied by streaming currents

Using a quantum dot as a high-frequency shot noise detector

Shot-noise detection in a carbon nanotube quantum dot

Antenna model for wire lasers

Efficient magnetization reversal with noisy currents

Human Rad51 filaments on double- and single-stranded DNA: Correlating regular and irregular forms with recombination function

Recombinase proteins assembled into helical filaments on DNA are believed to be the catalytic core of homologous recombination. The assembly, disassembly and dynamic rearrangements of this structure must drive the DNA strand exchange reactions of homologous recombination. The sensitivity of eukaryotic recombinase activity to reaction conditions...