Paper published in Chaos (ligand detection by receptor clusters)

The paper “Reliable target ligand detection by noise-induced receptor cluster formation” was published in Chaos 30 (1), 011104 (2020). doi:10.1063/1.5140714

Although intracellular reactions are stochastic, cells detect target molecules reliably among many similar molecules. We showed that, through ligand-induced stochastic clustering of receptors, noise can enhance both sensitivity and specificity. The effect arises when the target ligand promotes the cooperative reaction by which a cluster recruits receptors. Detection performance is maintained as nontarget ligands increase if the noise intensity is adjusted.

The work is also described on the Research page.