AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Thursday Sessions
       Session BI-ThA

Paper BI-ThA10
Bionanodevices Integrating Biomolecular Motors

Thursday, November 3, 2005, 5:00 pm, Room 311

Session: Bionanotechnology
Presenter: R. Tucker, University of Florida
Authors: R. Tucker, University of Florida
S. Ramachandran, University of Washington
D. Wu, University of Washington
T. Nitta, University of Washington
H. Hess, University of Florida
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Biomolecular motors have the ability to convert chemical energy into mechanical work with high efficiency, and can be used to integrate active movement and actuation into hybrid micro- and nanodevices. Recent improvements in the design of nanoscale transport systems (molecular shuttles) based on the motor protein kinesin will be discussed. We will focus in particular on the selective capture of target analytes by the transporters, and on improving the control over motor activation. An investigation into the origins of velocity dispersion of molecular shuttles traveling in channels permitted us to compare sample dispersion occurring in this novel mechanism of transporting samples with established transport methods, such as pressure-driven fluid flow or electroosmotic flow. Applications for biomolecular motor-based devices can be found in a variety of biosensing scenarios.