The Energy Budget of Cellular Life

21 novembre - 15h00 - 23h59

Centre de recherche - Paris

Amphithéâtre Hélène Martel-Massignac (BDD)

11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie - 75005 Paris

Description

Ever since the 1953 determination of the structure of DNA, there have been repeated
discoveries that have been labelled the “secret of life.”  In this talk, I continue with that tradition by
asserting that however we define life, it is certain that the state of matter we call living
depends upon the expenditure of  energy.   I will explore a two-pronged approach.
First, we will tap into the power of order of magnitude thinking to explain the energy
budgets of cells, examining the relative costs of the processes of the central dogma,
motility, the maintenance of transmembrane gradients, macromolecular degradation
and beyond.  To really understand these processes, secondly, I will argue we need to measure
this kind of molecular accounting in space and time and to that end, will discuss
our recent efforts to measure the consumption of ATP in active matter collectives
of microtubules and their attendant kinesin motors.  Our measurements yield
power in units of ATPs per cubic micron per second and make it possible to
better understand the relation between energy expenditure and the emergence of
biological order such as is seen in the fascinating and enigmatic spindles of
dividing cells.

Organisateurs

PCC Seminar Series

Orateurs

Rob Phillips

Invité(es) par

Leila Perié

Institut Curie

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