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SUMMARY:Diffusion in randomly switching environments - Paul Bressloff (Uni
 versity of Utah)
DTSTART:20160624T080000Z
DTEND:20160624T084500Z
UID:TALK66568@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:INI IT
DESCRIPTION:In this talk we review recent work with Sean Lawley on diffusi
 on in randomly  switching environments. One of the fundamental transport p
 rocesses in biological  cells is the exchange of ions\, proteins and other
  macromolecules between  subcellular domains\, or between the interior and
  exterior of the cell\, via  stochastically gated membrane pores and chann
 els. For example\, the nucleus of  eukaryotes is surrounded by a protectiv
 e nuclear envelope within which are  embedded nuclear pore complexes (NPCs
 ). The NPCs are the sole mediators of  exchange between the nucleus and cy
 toplasm\, which requires the formation of  complexes with chaperone molecu
 les known as karyopherins. Other examples include  the membrane transport 
 of particles via voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion  channels\, and interc
 ellular gap-junction coupling. One example at the more  macroscopic level 
 is the passive diffusion of oxygen during insect respiration.  We show how
  each of these systems can be modeled in terms of diffusio n in a  bounded
  domain with (partially) switching boundaries\, and use a combination of  
 PDE theory and probabilistic methods to determine statistical properties o
 f the  system. We highlight important differences between cases where the 
 diffusing  particles switch conformational state and cases where the bound
 ary physically  switches.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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