Effect of active enzyme diffusion on mesoscale particles

Most of the phenomena in a living matter occur far from equilibrium and, therefore, cannot be treated within the framework of classical equilibrium thermodynamics. The elements of active matter, self-propelled particles, can be used to power active baths that can be rectified to recover work from noisy, non-equilibrium systems. Prior work has used bacteria or colloidal active matter to serve as active baths that can turn rotors or be rectified. However, the large size of bacteria creates a lower limit on the size of a material powered by a bacterial active bath. Cell biological studies have implied that metabolism enzymes serve to mix the viscous and complex fluid of the cytoplasm. Using these ideas our prior expertise in studying enzymes, we will focus on how enzyme baths can power the fluctuation spectrum of nano particles, and their effect on the diffusivity and fluctuations of larger particles such as passive proteins, quantum dots, and colloidal particles. Activity of passive elements will be analyzed through single particle tracking and differential dynamic microscopy.