1999/10/04 by Sriram Ramaswamy, Sriraṁ Ramaswamy, John Toner +1 · 5 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Asymmetry #Biology #Biophysics #Chemical physics #Chemistry #Classical mechanics #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Mechanics #Membrane #Micro and Nano Robotics #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Optics #Physics #Proton #Quantum mechanics #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies #Stability (learning theory) #Steady state (chemistry) #Thermodynamics #Wavelength #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech #q-bio.CB
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.84.3494
4 two-column pages, two .eps figures included, revtex, uses epsf
arxiv created 1999/10/04 · openalex publication_date 2000/04/10 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The stability of a flexible fluid membrane containing a distribution of mobile, active proteins (e.g., proton pumps) is shown to depend on the structure and functional asymmetry of the proteins. A stable active membrane is in a nonequilibrium steady state with height fluctuations whose statistical properties are governed by the protein activity. Disturbances are predicted to travel as waves at sufficiently long wavelength, with speed set by the normal velocity of the pumps. The unstable case involves a spontaneous, pump-driven undulation of the membrane, with clumping of the proteins in regions of high activity.