Molecular machines will provide breakthroughs in medicine. Free Technical Library News

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Molecular machines will provide a breakthrough in medicine

18.10.2012

A research team led by German physicist Prof. Hermann Gaub has developed a technology for ultra-precise assembly of molecular machines. The new technology promises a breakthrough in a very promising area, which in turn opens up wide opportunities for the manufacture of microscopic devices capable of performing a wide variety of tasks: from the production of materials to the targeted delivery of drug molecules.

Molecular machines could make a real revolution in all areas of human activity, however, to assemble such machines, it is necessary to manipulate individual protein molecules with nanometer precision. German scientists finally managed to do it. They used a technique known as Single-Molecule Cut and Paste (SMC&P), which in its original form was only applicable to DNA molecules. Hermann Gaub improved SMC&P, and now with the help of an ultra-fine needle of an atomic force microscope, it is possible to capture a single biomolecule and combine it with another with nanometer precision.

Natural molecular machines, made up of proteins, in our body are responsible for many of the biochemical processes that occur in living cells. The creation of artificial analogues of such machines is one of the main goals of nanotechnology. From a practical point of view, this promises not only the possibility of controlling the vital activity of cells, but the availability of the production of various materials, the assembly of nanomachines, etc.

Until now, the problem of manipulations at the nanoscale remains very difficult. In a liquid medium at room temperature, "weather conditions" at the nanoscale are comparable to a tornado. For the first time, German scientists managed to securely attach molecules to the tip of an atomic microscope needle without damaging them. For this, a combination of antibodies, DNA-binding proteins and DNA anchors was used.

With the help of the new technology, scientists were able to create a figure of a man from hundreds of fluorescent molecules, similar to the one that is drawn at traffic lights. It will be possible to manufacture various complex protein machines with a variety of functions. For example, you can choose a combination of enzymes that break down the most dangerous toxins or process biomass into fuel.

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