A bioinspired design principle for DNA nanomotors: Mechanics-mediated symmetry breaking and experimental demonstration

作者：Cheng Juan; Sreelatha Sarangapani; Loh Iong Ying; Liu Meihan; Wang Zhisong^*

来源：Methods, 2014, 67(2): 227-233.

DOI：10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.02.029

• Molecular motor
• DNA nanotechnology
• Azobenzene

DNA nanotechnology is a powerful tool to fabricate nanoscale motors, but the DNA nanomotors to date are largely limited to the simplistic burn-the-bridge design principle that prevents re-use of a fabricated motor-track system and is unseen in biological nanomotors. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate a scheme to implement a conceptually new design principle by which a symmetric bipedal nanomotor autonomously gains a direction not by damaging the traversed track but by fine-tuning the motor's size.

• 出版日期2014-5-15