A Synthetic Chemomechanical
Machine Driven by Ligand–Receptor
Bonding
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Abstract
The ability to create synthetic chemomechanical machines
with engineered
functionality promises large technological rewards. However, current
efforts in molecular chemistry are restrained by the formidable challenges
faced in molecular structure and function prediction. An alternative
approach to engineering machines with tailorable chemomechanical functionality
is to design Brownian ratchet devices using molecular assemblies.
We demonstrate this through the creation of autonomous molecular machines
that sense, mechanically react, and extract energy from ligand–receptor
binding. We present a specific instantiation, measuring approximately
100 nm in length, which actuates upon detection of a streptavidin
ligand. Machines were designed through the tailoring of energy landscapes
on 3D DNA origami motifs. We also analyzed the response over a logarithmic
concentration ratio (device:ligand) range from 1:10<sup>1</sup> to
1:10<sup>5</sup>