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Updated: May 15, 2026
08:49
Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
Published on: June 23, 2022
Optimization of isopolar microtubule arrays
Rodney R Agayan1, Robert Tucker, Takahiro Nitta
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|January 22, 2013
Summary
Aligned microtubule arrays are key for nanodevices. Thermal forces limit alignment, while flow strength, microtubule properties, and motor velocity influence the process, indicating an optimal flow for fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Biomolecular engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Cytoskeletal dynamics
Background:
- Isopolar arrays of aligned cytoskeletal filaments are integral to hybrid nanodevices.
- These arrays, combined with biomolecular motors, can function as actuators or artificial muscles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate isopolar arrays of microtubules using flow alignment.
- To characterize the quality of these arrays by their degree of alignment.
- To investigate the factors influencing the alignment process and its limitations.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of isopolar microtubule arrays via flow alignment.
- Characterization of array quality using degree of alignment measurements.
- Development and application of analytical models to understand alignment kinetics and limitations.
Main Results:
- The degree of microtubule alignment is fundamentally limited by thermal forces.
- Alignment kinetics are influenced by flow strength, microtubule stiffness, gliding velocity, and tip length.
- Excessively strong flows reduce filament density by removing microtubules from the surface.
Conclusions:
- An optimal flow strength exists for fabricating highly ordered microtubule arrays.
- Understanding these parameters is crucial for designing efficient biomolecular motor-based nanodevices.
- This work provides insights into the controlled assembly of nanoscale biomolecular structures.
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