Long-range electrodynamic interactions between proteins: LINkS

Project “LINkS” is a collaboration between Micronit, CNRS (France), Terakalkis (France), the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Forschungszentrum Julich (Germany). It explores quantum biology by bringing together these 5 partners with complementary methods and fields of expertise in fundamental physics, microbiology and cutting-edge microtechnology.

The question

What are the physical forces that bring the huge number of biochemical players in cells at the right place, in the right order and in a reasonably short time to sustain cellular function and ultimately cellular life?

Biology has already demonstrated how at distances below 10 Angströms, well known forces such as Van der Waals, hydrophobic and electrostatic forces drive intermolecular interactions. But how do molecules get close enough to react? Are there other mechanisms beyond random movements that allow them to mutually ‘find each other’ when and where needed?

The goal

The main objectives of Project LINkS are:

• To unveil long-range electrodynamic interactions (LEDIs) between biomolecules as a mechanism sustaining molecular dynamics in cells.
• To develop a breakthrough biosensor technology to investigate LEDIs between proteins.
• To reinforce EU nano-bioelectronics industry capabilities, boosting innovation and growth of European SMEs.
• To build a leading research and innovation capacity across Europe by training the young generation of scientists in cutting-edge technologies.

Context of the project

LEDIs originate from collective oscillation of dipole moments in the frequency range of 100 GHz to 1 THz resulting in interactions that operate over much longer distances than the traditional intermolecular forces, exceeding several hundred Angströms. Although experimental evidence is currently limited, the existence of LEDIs could help explain the high spatial organization and coordination of biomolecular reactions responsible for the transmission of information in biological cells. Theoretical models describing e.g. energy transfer, coherence time and amplitude of oscillation modes will be combined with experimental work involving THz spectroscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. To this end, Micronit will develop microfluidic devices integrating THz detectors to study protein interactions.

Micronit collaborates in Work Package 2. This work package aims to develop a novel lab-on-chip terahertz biosensor to enhance spectroscopy of biological molecules in solution. It focuses on designing, experimentally studying, and optimizing THz electronic nanodevices integrated into microfluidic systems, operating in the 0.1–0.4 THz range.

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 964203.