[Colloquium] Emergent functional structures in membrane signaling

Colloquium Speaker: Christoph A. Haselwandter, USC

Title: Emergent functional structures in membrane signaling

Abstract: Many biological processes emerge from assemblies of interacting molecules, including the sensation of touch and the regulation of our heart rate. How do such new, biologically functional structures arise from molecular interactions, and what key physical mechanisms and principles do these structures depend on? We illustrate how theoretical physics can explain the emergence of new biological properties from molecular interactions, based on two case studies: We show that the detection of mechanical signals through Piezo ion channels, which underlies our ability to sense touch, relies on emergent structural and mechanical properties of Piezo-lipid bilayer systems, and that G protein–coupled receptors self-assemble into a novel form of biochemical matter named higher-order transient structures, so as to control the heart rate.