POLYMER TRANSLOCATION THROUGH A PORE IN A MEMBRANE

We construct a new statistical physical model of polymer translocation through a pore in a membrane treated as the diffusion process across a free energy barrier. We determine the translocation time in terms of chain flexibility yielding an entropic barrier, as well as in terms o f the driving mechanisms such as transmembrane chemical potential diff erence and Brownian ratchets. It turns out that, while the chemical po tential differences induce pronounced effects on translocation due to the long-chain nature of the polymer, the ratchets suppress this effec t and chain flexibility.