Researchers are making impressive strides in the realm of nanoscale artificial motors by delving into DNA-nanoparticle motors.
These innovative devices utilize the unique properties of DNA and RNA to create movement through a fascinating process of enzymatic RNA degradation.
By transforming chemical energy into mechanical motion, these motors employ a clever mechanism known as the “burnt-bridge” Brownian ratchet.
This method allows the motor to advance by gradually degrading substrate bonds—much like burning bridges that allow for easier passage.
Current Challenges in Speed
Despite their potential, these nano-sized motors currently trail behind their biological counterparts in speed.
While natural motor proteins can achieve speeds between 10 and 1,000 nanometers per second, traditional designs of artificial motors often struggle to surpass 1 nanometer per second.
In response, researchers are diligently seeking methods to boost the speed of these artificial motors to bring their performance closer to that of natural motor proteins.
Breakthrough Advances
A recent study published in *Nature Communications* marks a significant breakthrough in addressing the speed limitations of DNA-nanoparticle motors.
The research identified the binding of RNase H, an essential enzyme for maintaining the genome, as the primary speed bottleneck.
RNase H degrades RNA within RNA/DNA hybrids inherent to the motor, and its prolonged binding results in extended pauses that slow the motor’s overall speed.
Interestingly, increasing the concentration of RNase H led to a remarkable improvement, slashing pause times from 70 seconds to just 0.2 seconds and significantly boosting movement speed.
However, this newfound speed came with its own set of challenges, including processivity—the count of steps taken before the motor disengages—and run-length, which is the distance the motor travels prior to detachment.
Fortunately, researchers discovered that enhancing the hybridization rate of DNA/RNA could address this issue.
With finely-tuned DNA/RNA sequences, they achieved an impressive 3.8-fold increase in hybridization rate, enabling the engineered motor to reach speeds of 30 nanometers per second, achieving a processivity score of 200 and a run-length of 3 micrometers.
This progress means that DNA-nanoparticle motors are nearing the performance levels of natural motor proteins.
Future Potential and Applications
Looking forward, researchers have set their sights high, aiming not just to replicate, but to potentially surpass the capabilities of biological motor proteins.
If successful, these advancements could pave the way for groundbreaking applications in molecular computations and diagnostics, particularly for detecting infections or disease biomarkers with heightened sensitivity.
By integrating these artificial motor proteins with nanoscale devices, scientists hope to create systems capable of performing complex tasks at the cellular level.
One exciting possibility is the development of a biohybrid hand with muscle tissue that mimics natural movement and responsiveness, offering new opportunities in prosthetics and robotic assistance.
Such innovations could revolutionize medicine, enabling highly precise interventions and diagnostics tailored to individual patients.
Behind this promising research are the collaborative efforts of Takanori Harashima, Akihiro Otomo, and Ryota Iino from the Institute for Molecular Science at the National Institutes of Natural Sciences, alongside the Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies at SOKENDAI.
Their findings herald a bright future for DNA-nanoparticle motors, suggesting that these artificial devices could soon rival biological motor proteins in the vast field of nanotechnology.
Source: ScienceDaily