Exploratory Research on Biosystems at the Nanoscale: Kinesin-Powered Micro-Chemo-Mechanical Systems (MCMS).

纳米级生物系统的探索性研究：驱动蛋白驱动的微化学机械系统（MCMS）。

• 批准号: 9986206
• 负责人: Russell Stewart
• 金额: $ 20.14万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-06-01 至 2003-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9986206&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Exploratory; Research; Biosystems; Nanoscale; Kinesin

One of the fundamental processes occurring in biological cells is directed active transport. Numerous cellular components must be processed, packaged, sorted, and delivered to specific locations at specific times within cells. This essential moving about of the cell's components is carried out, in large part, by kinesin motor proteins and the microtubule cytoskeleton, which function as an intracellular railroad system-a railroad with nanometer-scale locomotives running on nanometer-scale tracks. The long-term objective of the proposed research is to take the molecular machinery of this sub-cellular railroad out of the cell and integrate it into micron-scale devices with moving parts driven by kinesin motors-MicroChemoMechanical Systems (MCMS). The specific objectives are: (1) To explore new methods to "lay the tracks" for kinesin motors. The kinesin engines will only go where there are appropriate gauge tracks. Precise positioning of the microtubule tracks will be essential for developing kinesin-based MCMS. (2) Kinesin-powered microchips. Methods to specifically and selectively couple kinesin to the materials commonly used in microfabrication will be developed and adapted to moving microfabricated machine parts like levers, or gears, or rotors. This will be the first step toward coupling kinesin generated forces to a useful action in an MCMS. (3) Construction of a prototype MCMS. From moving silicon microparts, the pieces will be assembled into a prototype MCMS - a kinesin-powered micro-generator.The ability to take the cellular machinery of active transport out of the cell and integrate it into microstructures - into MCMS - could lead to profound changes in several areas of engineering. "Bottom up" engineering, using nanometer parts and machines from Biology to build up microdevices, could ultimately breech the barriers of shrinking conventional macrodevices to micro-dimensions, at least for some applications. Kinesin-powered microgenerators, or micropumps, as well as devices with kinesin-actuated gates, valves, mirrors, or switches can be imagined.

生物细胞中发生的一个基本过程是定向主动转运。许多细胞成分必须在细胞内的特定时间被处理、包装、分类并运送到特定的位置。细胞组成部分的这种基本移动在很大程度上是由运动蛋白和微管细胞骨架完成的，它们的功能就像细胞内的铁路系统——一条有纳米级机车在纳米级轨道上运行的铁路。这项研究的长期目标是将这种亚细胞轨道的分子机制从细胞中提取出来，并将其整合到微米级的设备中，这些设备由马达驱动的运动部件-微化学机械系统（MCMS）。具体目标是：(1)探索新的方法来“铺设轨道”的电机运动。动力引擎只会在有合适轨距的地方运行。微管轨迹的精确定位对于开发基于运动蛋白的MCMS至关重要。(2)动力微芯片。将开发特异性和选择性地将运动学偶联到微制造中常用的材料的方法，并使其适应于移动微制造机器部件，如杠杆、齿轮或转子。这将是将运动蛋白产生的力与MCMS中有用的动作耦合的第一步。(3) MCMS原型的构建。从移动的硅微部件开始，这些碎片将被组装成一个原型MCMS——一个动力驱动的微型发电机。将主动运输的细胞机制从细胞中取出，并将其整合到微结构中，即MCMS中，这种能力可能会在几个工程领域产生深远的变化。“自下而上”的工程，使用纳米部件和生物学中的机器来构建微设备，最终可能突破将传统的宏观设备缩小到微观尺寸的障碍，至少在某些应用中是这样。可以想象，驱动马达驱动的微型发电机或微型泵，以及带有驱动马达的闸门、阀门、反射镜或开关的设备。