When mixed together, DNA and polyaminoamide dendrimers form fibers that condense into a compact structure. We use optical tweezers to pull condensed fibers and investigate the decondensation transition by measuring force-extension curves (FECs). A characteristic force plateau (around 10 pN) and hysteresis between the pulling and relaxation cycles are observed for different dendrimer sizes, indi...

The force required to pull 7t and 40t polyhedral boulders from the surface of an asteroid is simulated using the discrete element method considering the effects of microgravity, regolith cohesion and boulder acceleration. The connection between particle surface energy and regolith cohesion is estimated by simulating a cohesion sample tearing test. An optimal constant acceleration is found where...

We quantitatively describe an RNA molecule under the influence of an external force exerted at its two ends as in a typical single-molecule experiment. Our calculation incorporates the interactions between nucleotides by using the experimentally determined free energy rules for RNA secondary structure and models the polymeric properties of the exterior single-stranded regions explicitly as elas...

The capacity of biological macromolecules to act as exceedingly sophisticated and highly efficient cellular machines - switches, assembly factors, pumps, or motors - is realized through their conformational transitions, that is, their folding into distinct shapes and selective binding to other molecules. Conformational transitions can be induced, monitored, and manipulated by pulling individual...

RNA folding is a kinetic process governed by the competition of a large number of structures stabilized by the transient formation of base pairs that may induce complex folding pathways and the formation of misfolded structures. Despite its importance in modern biophysics, the current understanding of RNA folding kinetics is limited by the complex interplay between the weak base pair interactio...

Muscles are responsible for generating the forces required for the movement of multicellular organisms. Microscopically, these forces arise as a consequence of motor proteins (myosin) pulling and sliding along actin filaments. Current knowledge states that the molecular forces between actin and myosin are linear in nature [Huxley and Simmons (1971) Nature (London) 233, 533-538] and that the phy...

In cable production, it is imperative to control speed and tension. This paper proposes a web tensile force regulation between input output pulling caterpillar devices. The controlled indirectly using PI controller based on feedback information about observer. also deals with the of input-pulling device torque (current) effect line temperature change at extruder zones. output-pulling devices ar...

Usually a light beam pushes a particle when the photons act upon it. We investigate the optical forces by nonparaxial gradientless beams and find that the forces can drag suitable particles all the way towards the light source. The major criterion of realizing the backward dragging force is the strong nonparaxiality of the light beam, which contributes to the pulling force owing to momentum con...

The force-induced detachment of the adhesion protein complex CD2-CD58 was studied by steered molecular dynamics simulations. The forced detachment of CD2 and CD58 shows that the system can respond to an external force by two mechanisms, which depend on the loading rate. At the rapid loading rates of 70 and 35 pN/ps (pulling speeds of 1 and 0.5 A/ps) the two proteins unfold before they separate,...

The centrosome is generally maintained at the center of the cell. In animal cells, centrosome centration is powered by the pulling force of microtubules, which is dependent on cytoplasmic dynein. However, it is unclear how dynein brings the centrosome to the cell center, i.e., which structure inside the cell functions as a substrate to anchor dynein. Here, we provide evidence that a population ...