Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...

Mechanical Protein Functions

Mechanical Protein Functions

Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Leveraging Solvatochromic and Mechanochromic Properties of Donor-Acceptor-Donor (D-A-D) Imines for Multimodal Information Encryption.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Multifunctional Manganese-Based Nanocomposites for Enhanced Immunotherapy by Regulating Lactate Metabolism and Activating the cGAS-STING Pathway.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Photoinduced radical emission from flexible organic crystals.

Light, science & applications·2026

Same author

Multistate photoswitches beyond on and off.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Organic small-molecule NIR-II fluorophores for tumor phototheranostics.

Light, science & applications·2026

Same author

High-Performance Flexible Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting System Enabled by Light-Driven Thermomechanical Coupling in Liquid Crystal Elastomer.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Published on: March 13, 2019

Artificial molecular machines: Design and observation.

Shu Zhang¹, Yi An¹, Xu-Man Chen¹

¹Institute of Advanced Materials and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Southeast University Nanjing Jiangsu Province China.

Smart Molecules : Open Access

|July 8, 2025

Summary

Artificial molecular machines, inspired by nature, utilize switches, motors, and shuttles. Observing these tiny machines requires advanced techniques and smart design for technological breakthroughs.

Keywords:

artificial molecular machines mechanically interlocked molecules molecular motors molecular switches supramolecular chemistry

More Related Videos

In vitro Assembly of Semi-artificial Molecular Machine and its Use for Detection of DNA Damage

In vitro Assembly of Semi-artificial Molecular Machine and its Use for Detection of DNA Damage

Published on: January 11, 2012

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Published on: March 13, 2019

In vitro Assembly of Semi-artificial Molecular Machine and its Use for Detection of DNA Damage

In vitro Assembly of Semi-artificial Molecular Machine and its Use for Detection of DNA Damage

Published on: January 11, 2012

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

Area of Science:

Nanotechnology and Materials Science
Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

Artificial molecular machines are inspired by natural counterparts and hold significant technological potential.
Key components include molecular switches, motors, and shuttles.
Observing and characterizing these machines is challenging due to their nanoscale and complex dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To review diverse methods for observing artificial molecular machines.
To highlight the importance of molecular structure in machine observability.
To emphasize understanding machine behavior for improved design.

Main Methods:

Review of modern instrumentation for molecular observation.
Discussion of advanced observational techniques.
Analysis of molecular design principles for enhanced visibility.

Main Results:

Various techniques are crucial for observing and characterizing artificial molecular machines.
Molecular structure significantly impacts a machine's observabilty.
Comprehending machine behavior is vital for designing advanced systems.

Conclusions:

Effective observation of artificial molecular machines relies on a combination of advanced instrumentation, observational techniques, and thoughtful molecular design.
Understanding the behavior of these machines is paramount for future advancements in nanotechnology and materials science.