Descripción del proyecto
Máquinas a nanoescala basadas en origami de ADN
La creación de motores moleculares artificiales a nanoescala siempre ha sido un sueño de los ingenieros moleculares, que estudian diferentes enfoques hacia construcciones moleculares con acción mecánica controlada, o máquinas moleculares artificiales (MMA) a nanoescala. El proyecto EDRIVE, financiado con fondos europeos, tiene como objetivo construir MMA rápidas y controladas a distancia con funcionalidades superiores a las de la tecnología de vanguardia. El proyecto combinará el potencial de la técnica del origami de ADN para crear nanoestructuras tridimensionales complejas a fin de guiar el ensamblaje preciso de objetos funcionales a nanoescala y la actuación electromecánica. Los resultados de EDRIVE ofrecen la posibilidad de alcanzar una aplicación práctica más amplia de máquinas a nanoescala basadas en origami de ADN y el desarrollo de métodos innovadores para la fabricación de MMA y motores.
Objetivo
Inspired both by Nature and the success of macroscopic machines, molecular engineers have been exploring various approaches for the realization of nanoscale artificial molecular machines (AMMs), i.e. molecular constructs capable of controlled mechanical actuation. Despite the great promise of AMMs and the tremendous progress in the field, especially on the synthesis side, multiple conceptual and technical challenges, and open questions, e.g. related to AMMs fabrication, implementation of actuation and, most important, AMMs functionality, still remain. Here, I will combine i) the DNA origami technique with its ability to construct well-defined complex three-dimensional nanostructures, and guide the assembly of functional nanoscale objects with unprecedented precision; and ii) electromechanical actuation, to build fast, remotely controlled artificial molecular machines with functionalities far beyond the state of the art. First, I will fabricate AMMs that translate external stimuli into well-defined spatial reconfiguration of metal nanostructures. I will use such AMMs to build i) active plasmonic surfaces with fast remote modulation of optical responses, and ii) plasmonics probes with single-molecule detection sensitivity. Second, I will design AMMs that can exert forces on single molecules; such AMMs will be used to fabricate i) nanoscale robotic arms, i.e. devices that can pick-up, transport and release cargo (molecules and/or nanoparticles) in multiple cycles, and ii) molecular motors, i.e. devices capable of performing useful chemical or mechanical work and driving chemical systems out of their intrinsic equilibrium. Fabrication of artificial nanoscale molecular motors has been a long-standing dream of molecular engineers.
Results of this project will pave the way towards practical applications of DNA-origami-based machines and might lead to a paradigm shift in approaches to fabrication of artificial molecular machines and motors.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-BasedInstitución de acogida
02150 Espoo
Finlandia