Nanomotors in nanotechnology
Currently, no man-made nanomotor exists that can impact nanotechnology in the way that the steam engine defined the industrial revolution.
However, while the first prototypes of synthetic nanomotors are studied, nature provides us with a wide range of biological nanomotors, which have evolved to perform a wide range of functions with an amazing efficiency.
While the center stage is occupied by motor proteins such as myosin, which is, for example, responsible for muscle contraction, biological motor designs include motors based on ribonucleic acid (RNA) pulling on double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to package it into the protein shell of a virus; ribosomes moving along RNA while synthesizing a new protein; or even a membrane protein aiding the process of hearing.
The mechanism by which biological motors, in particular motor proteins, generate force is a very active field of research, and significant progress has been made.
Nowadays, motor proteins can be readily isolated and are even commercially available. Biomolecular motors, in particular motor proteins, are a gift of nature to the nanotechnologist.
They can be used in hybrid “bionano” devices to explore the potential of nanomotors. At this point, a small number of prototypical nanodevices based on motor proteins has been assembled, and the progress in the design of hybrid nanomotors is going on.
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