An international team of researchers has introduced a groundbreaking nanomotor powered by DNA and steered by an intelligent mechanism using RNA polymerase. The device is capable of producing orderly vibratory motions, with findings reported in Nature Nanotechnology.
The researchers devised a leaf-spring style nanomotor and validated its design through computer simulations with the oxDNA platform. The core structure comprises roughly 14,000 nucleotides that form the DNA backbone. It is organized like a wrist expander, featuring two handles linked by a spring, creating a V-shaped frame that can flex and snap back with precision.
At dimensions of about 70 by 70 by 12 nanometers, the motor draws its energy from nucleoside triphosphates, the molecules carrying three phosphate groups. One of the motor arms is bound with RNA polymerase, while a DNA strand is stretched between the two arms, forming the functional interface of the engine.
In operation, RNA polymerase binds to the DNA strand and uses it as a template to synthesize RNA transcripts. As transcription proceeds, the untranscribed region shortens, pulling the two handles closer together. When the polymerase reaches a designated termination sequence, the enzyme disengages, and the nanomotor returns to its resting configuration, after which the cycle can begin anew.
The team also envisions a clutch mechanism that would engage the motor energy only at predefined moments. Such a feature could, in the future, position this nanomotor as a central component within a larger nanomachinery system, enabling more complex sequences of motion and work. The broader goal is to craft programmable nanoscale machines with tunable activity and timing.
In a different domain, prior theoretical work by physicists explored strategic locations to minimize exposure during a nuclear event, illustrating how nanoscale research often intersects with broader questions about safety and resilience.