CAREER: Polymer Physics with DNA

职业：DNA 高分子物理

• 批准号: 9722417
• 负责人: Stephen Quake
• 金额: $ 40.74万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-08-01 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9722417&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Polymer; Physics; DNA

This project will develop new applications of DNA in polymer physics, in fields as diverse as adhesion, polymer brushes, reptation, low dimensional systems, confined geometries, and topological statistical mechanics. It is expected that this research will provide significant new progress towards the resolution of open questions in these fields. Specific experiments that will be performed include the following. The kinetics of adhesive fracture will be studied by measuring the dynamic forces as two entangled polymers are separated. The static and dynamic behavior of a DNA brush will be measured, thus testing the predictions of various theories by providing a direct measurement of single molecule configurations and dynamics. The theory of reptation will be critically examined by searching for correlated motion of polymers in a melt. Low dimensional statistical mechanics will be studied by confining DNA in microfabricated structures. Finally, the effects of topological knots on the statistical mechanical behavior of DNA will be investigated by directed knot tying. This research will be integrated with educational activities on many levels. Graduate students will be trained with an interdisciplinary range of skills. An upper level undergraduate/first year graduate course on `The Biophysics of DNA` will also be developed, that will serve to provide an integrated curricula knitting together the various theoretical and experimental applications of DNA to biophysics, and vice versa. This grant is made under the NSF `CAREER` Program. Support is provided jointly by the MPS Division of Physics, the MPS office of Multidisciplinary Activities, and the BIO Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.

该项目将开发DNA在聚合物物理学中的新应用，在粘附，聚合物刷，爬行，低维系统，受限几何和拓扑统计力学等领域。 预计这项研究将为解决这些领域的未决问题提供重要的新进展。 将进行的具体实验包括以下内容。 将通过测量两种缠结聚合物分离时的动态力来研究粘合剂断裂的动力学。 将测量DNA刷的静态和动态行为，从而通过提供单分子构型和动力学的直接测量来测试各种理论的预测。 爬行理论将通过寻找熔体中聚合物的相关运动进行严格的检查。 低维统计力学将通过将DNA限制在微加工结构中来研究。 最后，通过定向打结研究了拓扑结对DNA统计力学行为的影响。 这项研究将在许多层面上与教育活动相结合。 研究生将接受跨学科技能的培训。 还将开设关于“DNA的生物物理学”的高年级本科生/研究生一年级课程，这将有助于提供一个综合课程，将DNA与生物物理学的各种理论和实验应用结合在一起，反之亦然。 这项补助金是根据NSF的“职业”计划提供的。 支持由物理学的MPS部门，多学科活动的MPS办公室，和分子和细胞生物科学的BIO部门联合提供。