Molecular Active Matter, Kinetic Asymmetry, and Non-Reciprocal Interactions

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Active matter research often draws analogies between molecular and macroscopic scales, leading to confusion regarding driving forces.
• Distinguishing between phoretic and hydrodynamic forces is crucial for understanding molecular active matter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the fundamental mechanisms driving directional motion in nanoscale enzymes.
• To develop a model explaining chemotaxis and inter-enzyme interactions at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling combining kinetic asymmetry, diffusion asymmetry, and dissipation.
• Analysis of symmetry breaking principles at the nanoscale.

Main Results:

• A model demonstrating how asymmetry and dissipation enable directional motion in molecular enzymes.
• Explanation of both positive and negative chemotaxis in molecular catalysts.
• Emergence of non-reciprocal interactions between enzymes sharing substrates/products.

Conclusions:

• The proposed mechanism provides a unified framework for understanding molecular active matter.
• Non-reciprocal interactions at the molecular scale may be key to emergent properties like memory and order.
• These emergent properties are fundamental to the transition from non-living matter to life.