title: Identifying transport behavior of single-molecule trajectories.
abstract: Models of biological diffusion-reaction systems require accurate classification of the underlying diffusive dynamics (e.g., Fickian, subdiffusive, or superdiffusive). We use a renormalization group operator to identify the anomalous (non-Fickian) diffusion behavior from a short trajectory of a single molecule. The method provides quantitative information about the underlying stochastic process, including its anomalous scaling exponent. The classification algorithm is first validated on simulated trajectories of known scaling. Then it is applied to experimental trajectories of microspheres diffusing in cytoplasm, revealing heterogeneous diffusive dynamics. The simplicity and robustness of this classification algorithm makes it an effective tool for analysis of rare stochastic events that occur in complex biological systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California; Division of Biological Studies Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California. Electronic address: bmregner@salk.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Regner
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Tartakovsky
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Studies Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Terrence J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sejnowski
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D004058:Diffusion; D008954:Models, Biological; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D014981:Xenopus