CAREER: Artificial Brownian Motors - Education and Research in Biologically Inspired Physics at the Nanoscale

职业：人工布朗电机 - 纳米尺度生物启发物理学的教育和研究

• 批准号: 0239764
• 负责人: Heiner Linke
• 金额: $ 64.52万
• 依托单位: University of Oregon Eugene
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-03-01 至 2009-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0239764&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Artificial; Brownian; Motors; Education

This research project aims at enhancing our understanding of so called molecular motors. Molecular motors are biological macromolecules that perform mechanical tasks in living cells, such as the transport of material or the contraction of muscle cells. The physical environment of molecular motors is strongly determined by random collisions with surrounding water molecules, and must therefore have a working principle very different from traditional, man-made machines. This notion has prompted the development of theoretical models that incorporate Brownian motion into the mechanism for molecular force generation - so-called Brownian motors. The present project will experimentally realize some of these models, using building blocks such as plastic beads, nano-patterned silicon chips and DNA molecules. The objective is to test theoretical models such as those that describe how many coupled motors co-operate when a muscle contracts. The experiments are expected to become a focal point for future theoretical work aimed at understanding biological phenomena, and may lead to novel bio-mimetic actuator systems. This research field is at the interface of biology and physics at the nanoscale, a field in which more trained engineers and scientists will be needed in the near future. Undergraduate and graduate students will be exposed to interdisciplinary scientific work, and will learn skills necessary for a successful career in Nanoscience. A course on the physics and biology of nanoscale phenomena, aimed at undergraduate and graduate physics and biology students, will also be developed. Broader impacts of this project are the training of students in interdisciplinary thinking, and to equip students from both sides of the biology-physics divide with practical and theoretical skills from the other field. The educational and scientific program will be integrated with existing programs in the Materials Science Institute at the University of Oregon, further strengthening the University's interdisciplinary research environment. This project is jointly funded by the Physics Division in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

该研究项目旨在增强我们对所谓分子马达的理解。分子马达是在活细胞中执行机械任务的生物大分子，例如物质的运输或肌肉细胞的收缩。分子马达的物理环境很大程度上取决于与周围水分子的随机碰撞，因此必须具有与传统人造机器截然不同的工作原理。这一概念促进了理论模型的发展，将布朗运动纳入分子力产生机制中，即所谓的布朗电机。目前的项目将使用塑料珠、纳米图案硅芯片和 DNA 分子等构建模块来实验性地实现其中一些模型。目的是测试理论模型，例如描述肌肉收缩时有多少耦合电机协同工作的模型。这些实验预计将成为未来旨在理解生物现象的理论工作的焦点，并可能催生新型仿生执行器系统。该研究领域处于纳米尺度生物学和物理学的交汇处，在不久的将来，该领域将需要更多训练有素的工程师和科学家。本科生和研究生将接触跨学科的科学工作，并将学习在纳米科学领域取得成功所需的技能。还将开发针对本科生和研究生物理和生物学学生的纳米现象物理和生物学课程。该项目更广泛的影响是培养学生的跨学科思维，并为生物-物理学双方的学生提供来自其他领域的实践和理论技能。该教育和科学项目将与俄勒冈大学材料科学研究所的现有项目相结合，进一步加强该大学的跨学科研究环境。 该项目由数学和物理科学局物理处和生物科学局分子和细胞生物科学处共同资助。