Powering an Inorganic Nanodevice with a Biomolecular Motor

• DOI: 10.1126/science.290.5496.1555
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:52:08Z
• Authors: Ricky K. Soong; George D. Bachand; Hercules P. Neves; Anatoli G. Olkhovets; Harold G. Craighead; Carlo D. Montemagno
• Keywords: Miniaturization; Rotation; Molecular Motor Proteins; 01 natural sciences; Recombinant Proteins; 0104 chemical sciences; Proton-Translocating ATPases; Adenosine Triphosphate; Nickel; Biotinylation; Enzyme Inhibitors; Sodium Azide; Biotechnology

Biomolecular motors such as F 1 –adenosine triphosphate synthase (F 1 -ATPase) and myosin are similar in size, and they generate forces compatible with currently producible nanoengineered structures. We have engineered individual biomolecular motors and nanoscale inorganic systems, and we describe their integration in a hybrid nanomechanical device powered by a biomolecular motor. The device consisted of three components: an engineered substrate, an F 1 -ATPase biomolecular motor, and fabricated nanopropellers. Rotation of the nanopropeller was initiated with 2 mM adenosine triphosphate and inhibited by sodium azide.