title: Tunable dynamics of microtubule-based active isotropic gels.
abstract: We investigate the dynamics of an active gel of bundled microtubules (MTs) that is driven by clusters of kinesin molecular motors. Upon the addition of ATP, the coordinated action of thousands of molecular motors drives the gel to a highly dynamical turbulent-like state that persists for hours and is only limited by the stability of constituent proteins and the availability of the chemical fuel. We characterize how enhanced transport and emergent macroscopic flows of active gels depend on relevant molecular parameters, including ATP, kinesin motor and depletant concentrations, MT volume fraction, as well as the stoichiometry of the constituent motor clusters. Our results show that the dynamical and structural properties of MT-based active gels are highly tunable. They also indicate existence of an optimal concentration of molecular motors that maximize far-from-equilibrium activity of active isotropic MT gels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Henkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: DeCamp
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel T N
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02438, USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA zdogic@brandeis.edu.
authors.forename: Zvonimir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dogic
keywords: active matter; bundled microtubules; gels; molecular motors; spontaneous flow