Random walk of passive tracers among randomly moving obstacles. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gori, Matteo; Donato, Irene; Floriani, Elena; Nardecchia, Ilaria; Pettini, Marco
• Is Part Of: Theoretical biology and medical modelling. Volume 13:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 20
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Probability theory -- Diffusion of biomolecules -- Stochastic models in biological physics; Biology -- Mathematical models -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; 570.15118
• DOI: 10.1186/s12976-016-0038-1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-4682

Abstract

Abstract Background This study is mainly motivated by the need of understanding how the diffusion behavior of a biomolecule (or even of a larger object) is affected by other moving macromolecules, organelles, and so on, inside a living cell, whence the possibility of understanding whether or not a randomly walking biomolecule is also subject to a long-range force field driving it to its target. Method By means of the Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) technique the topic of random walk in random environment is here considered in the case of a passively diffusing particle among randomly moving and interacting obstacles. Results The relevant physical quantity which is worked out is the diffusion coefficient of the passive tracer which is computed as a function of the average inter-obstacles distance. Conclusions The results reported here suggest that if a biomolecule, let us call it a test molecule, moves towards its target in the presence of other independently interacting molecules, its motion can be considerably slowed down.