Research – Horowitz Lab

One of the most basic ways we learn about a physical system is by observing how it responds to small perturbations: from material properties – like elasticity and conductivity – to the effectiveness of biomolecular function – including, biochemical sensing, molecular discrimination, and gene regulation. We have been developing equalities and inequalities, akin to the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, that capture how nonequilibrium driving shapes response and enhances sensitivity in living and nonliving systems. Today, cutting-edge technology allows us to access, manipulate, and build incredibly small engines, from the molecular motors operating insi­­­­de cells to the artificial molecular machines they inspire. At such small scales, the world is very different from our everyday experience: fluctuations dominant and inertia is irrelevant. Using tools of stochastic thermodynamics and fluctuation theorems, we have been working to understand how energy dissipation can be used to modulate

One of the most basic ways we learn about a physical system is by observing how it responds to small perturbations: from material properties – like elasticity and conductivity – to the effectiveness of biomolecular function – including, biochemical sensing, molecular discrimination, and gene regulation. We have been developing equalities and inequalities, akin to the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, that capture how nonequilibrium driving shapes response and enhances sensitivity in living and nonliving systems. Today, cutting-edge technology allows us to access, manipulate, and build incredibl