Adapted to change: Low energy requirements in a low and unpredictable productivity environment, the case of the Galapagos sea lion

Insect tracheal-respiratory systems achieve high fluxes and great dynamic range with low energy requirements and could be important models for bioengineers interested in developing microfluidic systems. Recent advances suggest that insect cardiorespiratory systems have functional valves that permit compartmentalization with segment-specific pressures and flows and that system anatomy allows regional flows. Convection dominates over diffusion as a transport mechanism in the major tracheae, but Reynolds numbers suggest viscous effects remain important.

Download Full-text

Phase Separation of Intrinsically Disordered Nucleolar Proteins Relate to Localization and Function

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms222313095 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (23) ◽

pp. 13095

Author(s):

Francisco Guillen-Chable ◽

Andrea Bayona ◽

Luis Carlos Rodríguez-Zapata ◽

Enrique Castano

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Low Energy ◽

Energy Requirements ◽

Enzymatic Reactions ◽

Chemical Modifications ◽

Intrinsically Disordered ◽

Nucleolar Proteins ◽

High Level ◽

And Function

The process of phase separation allows for the establishment and formation of subcompartmentalized structures, thus enabling cells to perform simultaneous processes with precise organization and low energy requirements. Chemical modifications of proteins, RNA, and lipids alter the molecular environment facilitating enzymatic reactions at higher concentrations in particular regions of the cell. In this review, we discuss the nucleolus as an example of the establishment, dynamics, and maintenance of a membraneless organelle with a high level of organization.

Download Full-text

ChemInform Abstract: Tetraarylethanediols: Surprisingly Low Energy Requirements for Electron Transfer in Solution and in the Gas Phase.

ChemInform ◽

10.1002/chin.199119139 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 22 (19) ◽

pp. no-no

Author(s):

J. H. PENN ◽

Z. LIN ◽

D.-L. DENG

Keyword(s):

Electron Transfer ◽

Gas Phase ◽

Low Energy ◽

Energy Requirements

Download Full-text

Steady State and Dynamic Response of Voltage-Operated Membrane Gates

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes9030034 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

David Nicolas Østedgaard-Munck ◽

Jacopo Catalano ◽

Anders Bentien

Keyword(s):

Steady State ◽

Dynamic Response ◽

Flow Cell ◽

Low Energy ◽

Energy Requirements ◽

Carbon Paper ◽

Pump Operation ◽

Precise Control ◽

Voltage Gated ◽

Electrochemical Flow Cell

An electrochemical flow cell with Nafion 212, aqueous LiI/I 2 redox solution, and carbon paper electrode was operated as an electro-osmotic gate based on the Electrokinetic Energy Conversion (EKEC) principle. The gate was operated in different modes. (i) In normal DC pump operation it is shown to follow the predictions from the phenomenological transport equations. (ii) Furthermore, it was also demonstrated to operate as a normally open, voltage-gated valve for microfluidic purposes. For both pump and valve operations low energy requirements (mW range) were estimated for precise control of small flows ( μ L range). (iii) Finally, the dynamic response of the pump was investigated by using alternating currents at a range of different frequencies.

Download Full-text