Understanding the guiding of kinesin/microtubule-based microtransporters in microfabricated tracks

Microtransporters using cargo-laden microtubules propelled by kinesin motors are attractive for numerous applications in nanotechnology. To improve the efficiency of transport, the movement of microtubules must be guided by microfabricated tracks. However, the mechanisms of the guiding methods used are not fully understood. Here, using computer simulation, we systematically studied the guiding of such microtransporters by three different types of guiding methods: a chemical boundary, a physical barrier, and their combination. The simulation reproduced the probabilities of guiding previously observed experimentally for the three methods. Moreover, the simulation provided further insight into the mechanisms of guiding, which overturn previous assumptions and models.