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Your search keyword '"Biological motors"' showing total 2 results
Start Over Descriptor "Biological motors" Topic biochemical engineering
2 results on '"Biological motors"'

1. Microoxen: Microorganisms to move microscale loads.

Author

Weibel, Douglas B., Garstecki, Piotr, Ryan, Declan, Diluzio, Willow R., Mayer, Michael, Seto, Jennifer E., and Whitesides, George M.

Subjects
*GENETIC engineering, *PHOTOTAXIS, *MICROORGANISMS, *BIOCHEMICAL engineering, *PROTEIN engineering, *PHOTOBIOLOGY
Abstract

It is difficult to harness the power generated by biological motors to carry out mechanical work in systems outside the cell. Efforts to capture the mechanical energy of nanomotors ex vivo require in vitro reconstitution of motor proteins and, often, protein engineering. This study presents a method for harnessing the power produced by biological motors that uses intact cells. The unicellular, biflagellated algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serve as "microoxen." This method uses surface chemistry to attach loads (1- to 6-pm-diameter polystyrene beads) to cells, phototaxis to steer swimming cells, and photochemistry to release loads. These motile microorganisms can transport microscale loads (3-pm-diameter beads) at velocities of ≈100-200 μm∙sec-1 and over distances as large as 20 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2005
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2. Bacterial ratchet motors

Author

Federico Mecarini, Serena Schippa, F. De Angelis, Luca Angelani, R. Di Leonardo, Giancarlo Ruocco, Maria Pia Conte, Valerio Iebba, Dario Dell'Arciprete, E. Di Fabrizio, DI LEONARDO, Roberto, Angelani, Luca, D., Dell'Arciprete, Ruocco, Giancarlo, Iebba, Valerio, Schippa, Serena, Conte, Maria Pia, F., Mecarini, F., De Angeli, and E., Di Fabrizio

Subjects
biological motors, self-propulsion, ratchet effect, Computer science, Movement, Ratchet, Nanotechnology, 02 engineering and technology, Propulsion, Ratchet effect, 01 natural sciences, law.invention, law, Self propulsion, 0103 physical sciences, Escherichia coli, 010306 general physics, biological motor, Multidisciplinary, Rotor (electric), 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology, Active matter, Mechanism (engineering), Physical Sciences, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Thermodynamics, Biochemical engineering, 0210 nano-technology
Abstract

Self-propelling bacteria are a nanotechnology dream. These unicellular organisms are not just capable of living and reproducing, but they can swim very efficiently, sense the environment, and look for food, all packaged in a body measuring a few microns. Before such perfect machines can be artificially assembled, researchers are beginning to explore new ways to harness bacteria as propelling units for microdevices. Proposed strategies require the careful task of aligning and binding bacterial cells on synthetic surfaces in order to have them work cooperatively. Here we show that asymmetric environments can produce a spontaneous and unidirectional rotation of nanofabricated objects immersed in an active bacterial bath. The propulsion mechanism is provided by the self-assembly of motile Escherichia coli cells along the rotor boundaries. Our results highlight the technological implications of active matter’s ability to overcome the restrictions imposed by the second law of thermodynamics on equilibrium passive fluids.

Published
2010

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