Macromolecular Transport Processes
TL;DR
Transport processes are irreversible processes: the system is in a non-equilibirum state and relaxes toward an equilibirum, where transport will occur due to a potential applied to the system.
To induce motion of macromolecules in an equilibiurm state requires the application of an external force field or perturbation. This can be in the form of:
\(\bf{\text{Force Field: Experiment Type: Response}}\)
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Electric field: electrophoresis: motion of charged molecules
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Centrifugal force: sedimentation: motion due to mass
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Chemical potential: diffusion: osmosis
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Heat: thermophoresis, Brownian motion: diffusion
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Pressure: pressure: volume change
Thermophoresis
An obserbable in a microscale thermophoresis experiment is the decrease of fluorescence from either the Temperature Related Temperture Change (TRIC) or from the thermophoresis of the fluoresncently tagged molecules.
