Dynamics and control of biomolecules: Research venues and opportunities

Abstract

The purpose of this session is to present to the CDC audience a set of molecular-level biological research venues in which dynamics and control is, or can be, of use. With the large and growing number of people within the control community interested in biology, experiment driven research at the interface of biology and control is enticing. In our session, four different research venues are presented: 1) feedback control of individual DNA molecules in a nanopore, with a goal of DNA sequencing; 2) DNA secondary structure kinetics, with the goal of improving design and synthesis of DNA logic circuits that may be used, for example, for in vivo feedback control of biological processes; 3) an artificial DNA nanomotor, for which feedback compensation improves robustness and performance; and, 4) cooperative protein interactions in muscle force generation, in which identification of feedback mechanisms can ultimately improve therapeutic methods for post-cardiac arrest rehabilitation.