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Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Design of artificial molecular motor inheriting directionality and scalability
Kenta I Ito1, Yusuke Sato2, Shoichi Toyabe1
1Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Abstract:
Realizing artificial molecular motors with autonomous functionality and high performance is a major challenge in biophysics. Such motors not only provide new perspectives in biotechnology but also offer a novel approach for the bottom-up elucidation of biological molecular motors. Directionality and scalability are critical factors for practical applications. However, the simultaneous realization of both remains challenging. In this study, we propose a novel design for a rotary motor that can be fabricated using a currently available technology, DNA origami, and validate its functionality through simulations with practical parameters. We demonstrate that the motor rotates unidirectionally and processively in the direction defined by structural asymmetry, which induces kinetic asymmetry in motor motion. The motor also exhibits scalability, such that increasing the number of connections between the motor and stator allows for a larger speed, run length, and stall force.
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