Theoretical Studies on the Dynamics of Ion Permeation Across Membrane Channels

Funded Activity Summary

All electrical activities in the brain are regulated by opening and closing of ion channels. Thus, understanding their mechanisms at a molecular level is a fundamental problem in biology. There are many different types of ion channels, each type fulfilling a different role. We now know the exact atomic structures of several types of the proteins forming ion channels. Using this newly unveiled information, we propose to build exact physical models of many different types of ion channels. Then, making use of powerful supercomputers, we propose to follow the motion of ions as they move through the channel, study how a channel can select only the correct type of ions to traverse it and determine how many ions a single channel is capable of processing per second. The predictions made by our theory and computer simulations will be checked experimentally. Once we fully understand how these channels work, we will be able to understand the causes of, and possibly find the cures for, many neurological, muscular and renal disorders.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $381,000.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Biological Physics

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Cardia arhythmia | ClC chloride channel and glycine- GABA receptors | Hypertension and other channel related disorders | Membrane ion channels | Modelling of biological ion channels with computers | Muscular disorders, e.g., myotonia congenita | Neurological disorders, e.g., epilepsy and Alzheimer | Potassium, sodium and calcium channels | Renal disorders, e.g., Dent's disease, Bartters syndrome | Stochastic dynamics and Brownian dynamics

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