Engineering stability, longevity, and miscibility of microtubule-based active fluids
Pooja Chandrakar, John P. Berezney, Bezia Lemma, Bernard Hishamunda, Angela Berry, Kun-Ta Wu, Radhika Subramanian, Johnson Chung, Daniel Needleman, Jeff Gelles, Zvonimir Dogic
Abstract
Microtubule-based active matter provides insight into the self-organization of motile interacting constituents. We describe several formulations of microtubule-based 3D active isotropic fluids. Dynamics of these fluids is powered by three types of kinesin motors: a processive motor, a non-processive motor, and a motor which is permanently linked to a microtubule backbone. Another modification uses a specific microtubule crosslinker to induce bundle formation instead of a non-specific polymer depletant. In comparison to the already established system, each formulation exhibits distinct properties. These developments reveal the temporal stability of microtubule-based active fluids while extending their reach and the applicability.