The tiny machine made of genetic material self-assembles and converts electrical energy into kinetic energy. The nanomotors can be switched on and off and the rotation speed and rotational direction can also be controlled.
The researchers used what is known as the DNA “origami method” to construct the nanoscale molecular rotary motor. Several long single strands of DNA serve as a basis to which additional DNA strands attach themselves as counterparts. The DNA sequences are selected in such a way that the attached strands and folds create the desired structures.
“We’ve been advancing this method of fabrication for many years and can now develop very precise and complex objects, such as molecular switches or hollow bodies that can trap viruses. If you put the DNA strands with the right sequences in solution, the objects self-assemble,” said TUM professor Hendrik Dietz.
The new nanomotor made of DNA material consists of three components: base, platform and...