Project description
Tiny robots that carry molecular cargos
Molecular machines are amongst the most complex functional molecules and govern nearly every biological process. The controlled manipulation of molecular-level structures through programmable small-molecule robotics could lead us towards the dawn of a new era of useful molecular nanotechnology. The EU-funded ProgNanoRobot project plans to construct artificial nanorobots that could transport a molecular cargo in a programmable fashion. The project will investigate methods for manipulating molecular fragments using a molecular robotic arm, find the best programmable small-molecule robotic systems and develop a toolbox of robotic machine components. This new generation of molecular robotics could aid the development of molecular-sized machines that can manipulate substrates to control sequence-specific oligomer construction and molecular manufacturing.
Objective
Molecular machines are among the most complex of all functional molecules and lie at the heart of nearly every biological process. The controlled manipulation of molecular-level structures through programmable small-molecule robotics is a fabulous challenge that could lead us towards the dawn of an era of useful molecular nanotechnology.
“ProgNanoRobot” project aims to design, construct and investigate the operation of artificial molecular nanorobots capable of transporting a molecule cargo in a programmable fashion. We will develop key methodologies needed to manipulate molecular fragments using a molecular robotic arm operating through the formation and cleavage of dynamic covalent bonds, building on a rotary switch in which the rotor and stator can be positioned with respect to each other. We will explore different component types to find the best programmable small-molecule robotic systems and develop a toolbox of robotic machine components. We will use them as the basis for molecular machines that can transport molecular cargoes of biological relevance over long distances and to select between different cargoes and move them between multiple sites on molecular platforms in either direction. Moreover, we will employ a chemical fuel that induces pH oscillations in the reaction medium to allow the autonomous operation of these systems, a key development to reach the full potential of molecular machines, which will enable them to work as effective molecular assembly lines.
We envisage that the domain of this new generation of molecular robotics will be useful for the development of molecular-sized machines that can manipulate substrates to control sequence-specific oligomer construction and molecular manufacturing.
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Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
M13 9PL Manchester
United Kingdom