Is Brownian Motion The Secret Of Life After All?

mindpixel writes: "unisci is reporting research from Georga Tech that suggest the the key motor protein ATP works by 'rectified browian motion' as a kind of thermally driven nano-ratchet. The researchers said "We're arguing that Brown really had discovered the secret of life ... When you get into this sub-cellular level on the nanometer scale, the dynamics and vitality of protein molecules is really due to thermal motion." The implications for nanotech are obvious."

Comments

Overreaching

[Anonymous Coward]

I am a biochemist with over 30 years of research experience in enzymology, including ATP-utilizing enzymes. While Brownian motion and diffusion processes are both important and interesting, and these researchers have clearly performed some significant experimentation, the statements contained in the linked article implying that Brownian motion constitutes the BASIS of life can only be described (charitably) as overreaching. Actually, I expect that the expressions (as written) are those of the journalist, and not the precise views of the researchers.

well, not quite

[oldbox]

While ATP is a universal energy-storing molecule, kinesins, the "motor proteins" mentioned above are only found in eucaryotes. A much more universal molecule, the basis of all life if not the "secret of life" that the above article makes such a big deal about is ATPase (aka ATP synthase). The structure of F1F0-ATP synthase was deduced a few years ago, and won Prof. Paul Boyer and Dr. John Walker a Nobel Prize. The press release provides a good introduction to the discovery, and it's importance.

Interestingly, ATPase is a nano-scale rotor/generator. There are some great movies of the proposed operation from a berkley server. The ATP synthase motor is driven by the flow of protons from an area of high to a low concentration. Therefore it is not brownian motion directly, but osmosis that powers all life.

biobox

Brown

[zoombah]

Robert Brown didn't discover the secret of life. He simply observed and identified what we now call Brownian motion; he did not go far in mathematically developing his discovery. Einstein and Desaulx were the ones who truly quantified and detailed Brownian motion, I think that they are the ones who truly deserve the credit for "discovering the essence of life", if any credit is due.