Lead Chief Investigator

Shin-Ho H Chung Visual Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University

Project Title

Simulation of Biological Ion Channels and Carbon Nanotubes

Brief Description for General Publications

The project has two principle aims. First, we propose to study, using the state-of-the-art computational tools, how biological ion channels work. Because all electrical activities in the brain are regulated by opening and closing of ion channels, understanding their mechanisms at a microscopic level is a fundamental problem in biology. We will study how ions navigate through a narrow pore formed by protein molecules and how ion channels open and close. Second, using the knowledge we gained from studying biological ion channels, we propose to design and test theoretically a set of carbon or boron nitride nanotubes that can mimic ion channels. We will construct nanotubes that can selectively transport cations through the narrow conduit formed by carbon atoms or boron nitrides. We will also attempt to design nanotubes that allow the passage of water molecules and block charged particles. Such devices can potentially be used for antibiotics or to desalinate sea water.