Scientists at Rice University have developed synthetic protein switches to control the flow of electrons.
We want to leverage that exquisite ability to build more elaborate biomolecules and use these to develop useful synthetic biology technologies. We have encountered stunning surprises before about what E. Coli can and can not do. They can also be used in an agricultural application and use them as a biopesticede instead of using dangerous chemicals or as inoculants and help plant proliferation.
Aug. 10, 2014
A new method to efficiently generate and control currents based on the magnetic nature of electrons in semi-conducting materials has been developed by researchers. Using a microscope, the path of entry and distribution of surface proteins can be observed in living cells. The researchers used so-called nanobodies, tiny antibody fragments.
Also, scientists are aiming to use the process to customize proteins for industrial and pharmaceutical applications, by inserting amino acid building blocks not found in nature. Scientists also relied on the fact that many proteins are made of similar parts. The immune system relies on antibodies that can recognize only a single protein. “We wanted to figure out methods to graft complete, intact electronic circuits onto colloidal particles”, explains Michael Strano, the Carbon C. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and senior author of the study, which was published today in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Strano says that while other groups have worked on the creation of similarly tiny robotic devices, their emphasis has been on developing ways to control movement, for example by replicating the tail-like flagellae that some microbial organisms use to propel themselves.
Tiny robots made by the MIT team are self-powered, requiring no external power source or even internal batteries. Similarly, such particles could potentially be used for diagnostic purposes in the body, for example to pass through the digestive tract searching for signs of inflammation or other disease indicators, the researchers say. Most conventional microchips, such as silicon-based or CMOS, have a flat, rigid substrate and would not perform properly when attached to colloids that can experience complex mechanical stresses while travelling through the environment. And such thin-film electronics require only tiny amounts of energy. Researchers have now deciphered the molecular mechanisms behind this. An international team of researchers is looking at compounds that attack. Scientists have long known that synthetic materials-called metamaterials – can manipulate electromagnetic waves such as visible light to make them behave in ways that can not be found in nature.
This can be a very powerful framework for looking at many kinds of [ biological ] systems. Scientists interested in growing replacement organs for injured or sick people can use DNA barcodes to better understand how organs naturally develop. Scientists have developed a new technique that can determine how viruses interact with a host’s own RNA. Topology is also important for the functioning of biological systems. Springs may not be at the top of a designer’s mind when working on an application, but they are essential in many applications.
