Scientists
from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces,
Potsdam, and from eight other scientific institutions
in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Italy have
received 2 Million Euro from the European Union for
research on "Active Biomimetic Systems". These systems
involve two types of biomolecular nanomachines, growing
filaments and stepping motors, which are able to
generate force in the nanodomain. The research network,
which is coordinated by Prof. Reinhard Lipowsky,
will elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying
this force generation and will explore new possibilities
for the integration of these molecular machines into
nano- and microsystems. The network was launched
on May 1, 2005.
Biomimetic systems mimic or imitate certain aspects
of biological systems. One astounding aspect of biological
cells is their ability to undergo dramatic morphological
transformations: they can adapt their shape in order
to squeeze themselves through very narrow pores,
they can extend long `feet' in order to crawl along
surfaces, and they can divide themselves up into
two daughter cells. All of these transformation processes
are based on two types of biomolecular nanomachines:
growing filaments and stepping motors.
Both types of nanomachines are constructed from proteins but use distinct mechanisms
for force generation. Filaments are rod-like structures with a thickness of about
10 nanometers but a length of many micrometers. One end of the filament grows
by the addition of nanometer-sized building blocks and, in this way, generates
a pushing force. Stepping motors are proteins with two identical `legs',
which are about 10 nanometers in size. When in contact with a filament, such
a motor undergoes a certain conformational transformation, a so-called "power
stroke", which enables the motor to generate a pulling force.
Because of its small size, a single nanomachine generates a rather small force
in the order of a few piconewtons (10 -12 newtons). In addition, a single nanomachine
is rather sensitive to its environment and is easily perturbed by thermal collisions
with the surrounding molecules. It is quite remarkable, however, that all forces
generated by living cells and organisms arise from the combined action of groups
of such nanomachines. In this way, single cells can exert forces in the nanonewton
range, and animals can generate forces of hundreds of newtons. Thus, biological
systems are able to cover a very wide range of forces between a few piconewtons
and several hundred newtons. In order to mimic this amazing ability, one must
integrate bundles of filaments and groups of motors into larger and more complex
systems. This provides a fundamental challenge for the bionano sciences.
The newly established European Research Network on "Active Biomimetic Systems",
which is coordinated by Prof. Reinhard Lipowsky at the Max Planck Institute of
Colloids and Interfaces, has several goals. First, to obtain a deeper understanding
of the molecular processes that are responsible for the generation of the pushing
and pulling forces. Second, to elucidate the cooperative behavior of filaments
and motors in bundles, random meshworks, and more complex spatial arrangements.
One example is provided by the nano-highways shown in Figure 1. Third, to control
and vary the properties of these active biomimetic systems in a systematic and
reliable manner and, thus, to optimize their architecture and to improve their
design.
The research performed in this network is highly interdisciplinary and combines
(bio)chemical preparation, (bio)physical characterization, and theoretical modelling.
It therefore represents a concerted effort of scientists from biophysics, biochemistry,
physical chemistry, and bioengineering. The participating institutions are: Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam; AMOLF Institute, Amsterdam;
BASF, Ludwigshafen; Curie Institute, Paris; European Molecular Biology Laboratory,
Heidelberg; Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Jena; CNRS Laboratory on enzymology
and structural biochemistry, Gif-sur-Yvette; Politecnico of Milan; and University
of Leipzig.
Active biomimetic systems as pursued in the new research network have many possible
applications as drug delivery systems, molecular sorting devices, diagnostic
tools for cell screening, or scaffolds for tissue engineering. One long term
vision is the construction of nanorobots, which can perform work and other useful
tasks in the nano-domain. These tiny robots would have a large impact on many
aspects of human life. In medicine, for example, nanorobots could be used for
diagnostics on the level of single cells, for drug delivery to specific target
cells, and for noninvasive surgery of very small regions of the human body. Likewise,
such robots would represent important components for the development of nano-scale
manufacturing. This type of manufacturing seems rather appealing in order to
assemble distinct molecular components into integrated nanosystems with a complex
supramolecular architecture.
PDF (78 KB)
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Lipowsky
Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces , Postdam
Tel.: +49 331 567-9600
Fax: +49 331 567-9602
E-mail: Reinhard.Lipowsky@mpikg.mpg.de
Dr. Angelo Valleriani
Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces , Postdam
Tel.: +49 331 567-9616
Fax: +49 331 567-9602
E-mail: Angelo.Valleriani@mpikg.mpg.de
Katja Schulze (Press and Public Relations)
Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces , Postdam
Tel.: +49 331-567-9203
Fax: +49 331-567-9202
E-mail: katja.schulze@mpikg.mpg.de
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