(420c) Applications of Biomolecular Motors in Nanotechnology

Biomolecular motors efficiently convert chemical energy into mechanical work by hydrolyzing ATP. This talk will review recent advances in the design of hybrid devices and materials which integrate in particular the motor protein kinesin. Molecular motors enable in principle new approaches to a wide range of applications, including activated self-assembly, nanorobotics, self-healing, adaptive materials, nanofluidics, and biosensing. However, a gain in performance compared to existing approaches depends on a fundamental understanding of the flow of reactants and energy through these non-equilibrium systems of soft materials.