Biomolecular Motor/Nanotube Integration for Actuating Nanotechnology

Principal Investigator: Rich Superfine, Russell Taylor
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Agency Number: BES-0088509

Abstract
This growth of technology in our every day lives has been driven by the dramatic, exponential growth in computing power over the last three decades. This is stated in Moore's Law: every 3 years, the size of the characteristic feature of an electronic device is cut in half. A similar revolution is beginning to occur in electromechanical systems. The traditional forms of this discipline, based on silicon technology, are beginning to have substantial econimic impact with applications as accelerometers and integrated fiberoptic switches. In the biotechnology sector, fully integrated DNA sequencing labs-on-a-chip are being realized. This growth in applications at the micron scale has been paralleled by an increasing demonstration of the ability to design, place characterize and control molecular structures. We can now begin to engineer the form that actuating machines will take at the ultimate scale of atoms and molecules. We propose to combine the recent technology of nanotube science with the actuating structures of biology: motor proteins. We bring together a team with experience in nanotube science and nanoscale manipulation (physicists and computer scientists) with biologists with expertise in two important classes of motor protein systems: microtubules and actin/myosin. We propose to demonstrate the control of the patterning of motor raceways as functioning tracks for the motion of motor proteins. We will pursue the control of protein motion through the placement of nano-scale electrodes by these tracks to stall, reverse and steer the protein motion along the track and interconnects. Nanotubes will be used as precise electrical contacts to the motor raceways, and as actuating devices in concert with the motors. In other research, we have begun to understand the motion of nanotubes at interfaces, including their bending, buckling, sliding and rolling motion. We will attempt to use motor proteins to control the motion of nanotubes, and understand the limitations due to friction and energy loss. We will attempt to transport nanotubes as standard loads, to bend them as calibrated lateral force loads and to combine lateral transport of motor proteins with nanotubes rolling motion. The outcomes of this research program will be an increased understanding of the biophysics of motor proteins and the opportunities that they present for nanometer scale devices and system architectures.