Theoretical Sciences Unit Seminar

JNCASR
Kanada Auditorium

Dear All,

 

This is an announcement for the Theoretical Sciences Unit's Seminar on 02nd November 2022 (Wednesday).

 

Title:  Lifetime of actin-dependent protein nanocluster: Is the plasma membrane a soft glassy material?

 

Speaker: Dr. Sumantra Sarkar

Affiliation:  IISc, Bangalore

Date and Time: 02nd November 2022  (Wednesday) Time: 02:00 PM Tea/Coffee: 01:45 PM

Venue: Kanada Auditorium, JNCASR

Title:   Lifetime of actin-dependent protein nanocluster: Is the plasma membrane a soft glassy material?

Abstract:

Protein nanoclusters (PNCs) are dynamic collections of a few proteins that spatially organize in nanometer length clusters. PNCs are one of the principal forms of spatial organization of membrane proteins and they have been shown or hypothesized to be important in various cellular processes, including cell signaling. PNCs show remarkable diversity in size, shape, and lifetime. In particular, the lifetime of PNCs can vary over a wide range of timescales. The diversity in size and shape can be explained by the interaction of the clustering proteins with the actin cytoskeleton or the lipid membrane, but very little is known about the processes that determine the lifetime of the nanoclusters. In this talk, I’ll discuss the biophysical processes that determine the lifetime of actin-dependent PNCs. In particular, I’ll show that cell-membrane disorder has a nontrivial contribution to the lifetime distribution. Our observations raise the question of whether the cell membrane is a glassy material.

 

All are cordially invited.

 

Prof. Srikanth Sastry