Physical Chemistry

We aim at understanding of mechano-chemical coupling, i.e., conversion of chemical energy into mechanical motion in hexameric viral packaging motors called helicases.  These ubiquitous biological molecular nanomotors translocate along nucleic acids and are essential for replication as well as expression of genetic information in cells and are utilized by viruses. While helicases abound with a wealth of structural and biochemical information, the interplay between the mechanical motion and ATP hydrolysis remains elusive for all hexameric motors. We will construct a multiscale computational model of the helicase motor that will simulate the action of the motor in terms of underlying physical principles. These principles will foster potential applications in treatment of viral diseases and in the nanotechnology industry.