Allen Distinguished Microscopy Seminar

Mechanism of molecular transport in live cells

Enrico Gratton, Ph.D, Professor,
Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Fluorescence Dynamics
University of California, Irvine, CA

Sponsored By:
ORIED, CALS, COS, CVM, COE & Eastman Chemical University Engagement Fund

Abstract: The coordination of cell functions requires that molecules move in the cell interior to find their partners. In the cell, the mechanisms for molecular motion are poorly understood. While in an isotropic fluid diffusion is the default mechanism of motion, in the cell interior diffusion is hindered by barriers and by transient binding. Also molecules can move by active transport. One universal transport processes which is still debated is the shuttling of molecules between the cell membrane and other locations where the molecules will deliver a signal. Although we have made important progresses in understanding direct motion, less is understood in regard to paths for diffusion and in general the connectivity of the cell interior. In this talk I will discuss the development of tools that could help us in measuring the path that molecules follow in the cell to reach their target.