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Molecular Motors on the Run
Roland Piquepaille writes "In the nanotech world, molecular 'motors' have been heavily investigated during the last decade. And you probably read that these nano-carriers will one day be able to move a useful drug right where it's needed inside your body. But think for a minute to the size gap between yourself and a molecule. It's pretty impressive! Now, according to this news release, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Germany have developed a theory stating that only a few motor molecules should be enough for directed transport over centimeters or even meters. It's probably a meaningless comparison, but it's like if you were able to walk to the moon and come back."
A good example of a molecular motor is ATP-synthase, a naturally occurring enzyme in photosynthetic plants and bacteria. It is driven by a pH gradient formed due to the splitting of water and charge separation actions of the photosystems, although it can be forced to operate in reverse, by supplying an excess of ATP.
The enzyme itself is elegant, consisting of a rotating and a stationary segment, and has been the subject of much research by scientists eager to replicate its 'mechanics' into a synthetic cargo-carrying molecular machine, similar to those discussed in the article. Unfortunately, the last I heard imitating nature was proving a lot more difficult than expected.