化学燃料驱动的自发定向仿生分子行走器

生物体内存在大量蛋白分子行走器，它们利用化学燃料（ATP）水解释放的能量，通过棘轮机理来驱使其沿轨道定向运动，并执行重要的生命任务。研究方向可控的人工分子行走器来模拟其生物行走器的机理和功能有着重要的科研意义。然而，目前通过棘轮机理构筑的仿生分子行走器无法实现燃料驱动的自发持续运转，且定向运动的效率远低于生物体系。因此，如何借助分子工程精确设计能够匹配化学燃料的棘轮机制，构筑具有显著方向性偏差的结构单元以及如何协调动态过程的能量利用，是仿生分子行走器实现自发且高效的定向性运动的关键。基于此，本项目旨在通过引入化学燃料，突破分子行走器在自发运转方面的零实现，并且通过在分子行走器的每一步均引入方向性偏差，实现对行走器定向性质的放大，从而构建由棘轮机理调控的人工分子行走器系统，来揭示生物蛋白行走器的运行机制进而搭建不同环境下的功能分子机器。

A plethora of molecular walkers from organisms utilize chemical energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to travel directionally along the track through ratchet mechanism, performing important life tasks. It is of great scientific significance to study direction-controlled artificial molecular walkers mimicking the mechanism and functions of biological walkers. However, to date the processively autonomous motion of the biomimetic molecular walkers through ratchet mechanism driven by fuel hasn’t been achieved yet, and the efficiency of which is far lower than that of biological system. Therefore, the rational design of a ratchet mechanism with suitable chemical fuels, construction of structural units with significant directional bias together with coordination of energy utilization during the dynamic process are key factors to realize the autonomous and efficient directional motion of the biomimetic molecular walkers. Based on above, the aim of this project is to break through the zero achievement of the autonomous operation of the molecular walkers driven by chemical fuels, and to improve the directionality of the walkers by introducing directional bias into each walking step, so as to build an artificial molecular walker system with ratchet mechanism to reveal the mechanism of the biological protein walkers, and ultimately to construct functional molecular machines which can operate under different environments.