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Tau Hyperphosphorylation & Neurofibrillary Tangle Nucleation — 2D Unrolled Lattice

Interactive 2D nucleation-elongation model of tau protein aggregation on an unrolled microtubule lattice: hyperphosphorylation detaches tau, free monomers random-walk in the cytosol strip and nucleate paired-helical-filament seeds that elongate into neurofibrillary tangles, tracked live in a population time-series chart.

Molecular Biology2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This simulator models the molecular sequence behind Alzheimer's-associated neurofibrillary tangles on a 2D unrolled microtubule map: tau protein normally clings to the flattened protofilament lattice, but kinase-driven hyperphosphorylation strips it off into a cytosol strip below, where the resulting pool of free monomers self-assembles through a real 2D nucleation-elongation mechanism into paired helical filaments, tracked live by a population time-series chart. Drag the phosphorylation slider to watch the lattice destabilize and tangles nucleate, adjust the tau pool to see concentration-dependent aggregation kinetics, or inject a preformed seed to demonstrate prion-like templated spreading.

⚙ Under the hood

Interactive 2D nucleation-elongation model of tau protein aggregation on an unrolled microtubule lattice: hyperphosphorylation detaches tau from the flattened protofilament grid, free monomers random-walk in a 2D cytosol strip and nucleate paired-helical-filament seeds that elongate into neurofibrillary tangles, tracked live by a population time-series chart.

neuroscienceprotein aggregationtau proteinneurodegenerationmolecular biology2D simulation

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install