title: Interactions regulating the head-to-tail directed assembly of biological Janus rods.
abstract: The directed, head-to-tail self-assembly of microtubule filaments may be generalized in the context of Janus colloidal rods. Specifically, their assembly at the tens of micron-length scale involves a careful balance between long-range electrostatic repulsion and short-range attractive forces. Here we show that the addition of counterion salts increases the rate of directed assembly by screening the electrostatic forces and enhancing the effectiveness of short-range interactions at the microtubule ends.
authors.affiliation: WMD Threats and Aerosol Science Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bachand
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bachand
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D012965:Sodium Chloride