Thermodynamic force thresholds biomolecular behavior

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that increasing thermodynamic forces in biomolecular systems can induce new behaviors and improve performance, with thresholds dictating the limits of sensitivity and discrimination, supported by theoretical derivations and experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework linking thermodynamic force thresholds to biomolecular behavior, revealing fundamental limits and new capabilities in nonequilibrium biological systems.

Findings

Thermodynamic force thresholds induce new biomolecular behaviors.

Derived equations show capabilities emerge sharply at force thresholds.

Experimental data confirms processes operate near theoretical limits.

Abstract

In living systems, collective molecular behavior is driven by thermodynamic forces in the form of chemical gradients. Leveraging recent advances in the field of nonequilibrium physics, I show that increasing the thermodynamic force alone can induce qualitatively new behavior. To demonstrate this principle, general equations governing kinetic proofreading and microtubule assembly are derived. These equations show that new capabilities, including catalytic regulation of steady-state behavior and exponential enhancement of molecular discrimination, are only possible if the system is driven sufficiently far from equilibrium, and can emerge sharply at a threshold force. Regardless of design parameters, these results reveal that the thermodynamic force sets fundamental performance limits on tuning sensitivity, error, and waste. Experimental data show that these biomolecular processes operate at the limits allowed by theory.