The widespread use of molecular-level motion in key natural processes suggests that great rewards could come from bridging the gap between the present generation of synthetic molecular machines—which by and large rely upon switching of individual components to carry out their functions—and the machines of the macroscopic world, which utilize the synchronized behaviour of integrated components to perform tasks more complex than the sum of the components.
The aim of this project is to design, construct and investigate the operation of synthetic molecular machines capable of performing sophisticated tasks. The key is learning how to integrate the movements and chemistries of different
machine components. We propose to make artificial molecular machines with integrated parts in which switches, gripping-release chemistries, ratchet mechanisms and track-bound molecules are integrated to produce outcomes that are more than the sum of what can be done by the individual components.
Success would give mankind the beginnings of a fundamentally new type of molecular nanotechnology.
