
Nanocaterpillars or motion with random sticky feet
To achieve motion beyond diffusion, numerous soft particles (cells, viruses, DNA-coated colloids) rely on random attachement and detachment of sticky ligands on an opposing surface. Understanding the overall motion of these particles is critical to probe the biological and physical processes at stake (assembly, targeted arrest). However, attachment dynamics often occur on much shorter time scales and length scales then the overall motion, making suh predictions challenging.