Nonlinear dynamics of spatially heterogeneous many-body systems: a model for energy storage and transfer in proteins.

by Dr Francesco Piazza

Friday 16 Apr 2010, 11:00 → 13:00 Europe/Rome

Aula Corbino (Dipartimento di Fisica - Ed. E.Fermi)

In this talk I will concentrate on nonlinear dynamics of three-dimensional networks of oscillators, constructed to provide a coarse-grained description of protein structures. The idea is to investigate energy storage and transfer processes as nonlinear effects within topologically disordered media. The biological rationale is provided by allosteric communication phenomena, that is, the propagation of signals across protein structures, whose explanation remains elusive. I will illustrate recent numerical and analytical results, showing that the properties of discrete breathers are modulated in a non-trivial fashion by the spatial heterogeneity of protein scaffolds. In particular, I will show how nonlinearity promotes DB-assisted energy transfer to specific regions close to known functional sites, while depressing transfer to generic locations.