Phys.org July 21, 2022
It has been quite difficult to recreate molecular motors with mechanical properties roughly similar to those of natural molecular motors like ATP synthase. An international team of researchers (Germany, UK) used the DNA origami method to assemble the motor from DNA molecules which was invented in 2006. The new nanomotor made of DNA material consists of three components: base, rotor arm, and platform. The base is fixed to a glass plate in solution via chemical bonds on a glass plate, the rotor arm is mounted on the base so that it can rotate, and the platform lies between the base and the rotor arm. The platform contains obstacles that influence the movement of the rotor arm. The motor can generate more energy per second than what’s released when two ATP molecules are split. The targeted movement of the motors results from a superposition of the fluctuating electrical forces with the forces experienced by the rotor arm due to the ratchet obstacles. The speed and direction of the rotation can be controlled via the direction of the electric field and the frequency and amplitude of the AC voltage. The motor could have technical applications in the future…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Motor design and experimental setup. Credit: Nature volume 607, pages492–498 (2022)Â