Protein-based nanoactuators

Protein-based nanoactuators can now be controlled rapidly and reversibly by thermoelectric signals. Scientists designing nanoscale devices would like to emulate the efficiency and compactness of the molecules, such as actomyosin, that control muscles in living creatures. A key goal is the simple, controlled, rapid activation of the protein motors. And that’s what researchers at Florida State University have done. They set up a flow cell in which motor molecules (which can remain viable for days when refrigerated) were thermally activated in a controllable and reversible way with an electric heater. An important goal of this work, according to FSU’s Goran Mihajlović, is to use the protein motors to power linear motion of nanowires; if the wires are themselves magnetic, then the motion could be monitored via a field sensor. The result would be a nanoactuator, controlled electrically but powered with biochemical energy. Possible future applications include a role in bioanalysis chips and gene delivery. (G. Mihajlović et al. , Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 , 1060, 2004 .)