Energy Conversion

A combustion engine converts the chemical energy of its fuel into heat and then performs useful work. In contrast, motor proteins are molecules that can convert the chemical energy released from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis directly into useful mechanical work. For this reason, motor proteins are attractive solutions as the underlying force-generating structures of a potentially more efficient molecular engine. We aim to realize such a device by spatially organizing biomolecular motors from the bottom-up to create large-scale functional arrays capable of generating a macroscopic force output. Future developments include applications such as prosthetic and implantable actuators for biomedicine and force transducers for transport systems.