Autonomous Bipedal Robot Built Out Of DNA
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Wednesday, 20 of January , 2010 at 4:25 am
I don’t know enough about molecular biology for how this works to make any sense to me, but apparently, researchers at NYU have created an autonomous bipedal walking robot out of a single strand of DNA with a linkage in the middle. I’m going to just let them explain how it works:
The walking device consists of a strand of DNA that contains a 5′,5′ linkage in the middle. One leg is called L-E and the other is called L-O. It walks on a track consisting of a series of stem-loops (T1-T4) that are part of a stiff DX motif. It is fueled by a pair of successive stem-loops (F1 and F2) that are in solution. The driving force for its motion is the formation of more base pairs than exist at any given time. The system is shown below.
Alright, so I don’t get how this works at all, but it’s still pretty amazing that they’ve put together a bipedal robot with DNA legs. If you’re wondering why something like this might be useful, besides the first step towards forming a DNA soccer league, the same group has developed a “molecule capture system” that uses “DNA origami” to create little robots able to capture and move single molecules. And they’re seriously little… Each is a million times smaller than a red blood cell.
With technology like this, it becomes possible to start constructing nanoscale machines molecule by molecule. Machines of this size have the potential to travel around inside our bodies in huge numbers, continuously fixing everything that goes wrong with us. It may sound crazy, but it may also be the future.
[ Prof. Nadrian C. Seeman @ NYU ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]
Comments (7)
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Comment by FelipeChoque
Made Wednesday, 20 of January , 2010 at 6:11 am
yes, is the future! no doubt about it :D
let’s live 300 years!!!! :D
Comment by Spikey DaPikey
Made Wednesday, 20 of January , 2010 at 7:48 am
Were DOOOMED ! There gonna go rouge, and change us all into Bots !!
Comment by Spikey DaPikey
Made Wednesday, 20 of January , 2010 at 7:49 am
damn my misspelling ! Rogue ! I meant ROGUE !!
Comment by Melissa
Made Wednesday, 20 of January , 2010 at 7:58 am
This is really neat. I’d like to know the mechanics behind how it’s able to move. Where does ATP cleavage come in?
Comment by Apfel
Made Friday, 22 of January , 2010 at 10:19 am
LOL @ Spikey!!!
Yeah they are gonna make up rouge on us….wait a minute…OH MY GOD CYLONS!!!
Comment by Joey1058
Made Tuesday, 26 of January , 2010 at 10:28 am
This will make Ray Kurtzwiel happy, I’m sure.
Comment by Ronni
Made Wednesday, 27 of January , 2010 at 5:27 am
@ Melissa (and others who might be interested)
As far as I understand the mechanism they are talking about, it seems to be working without an actual “power source” such as ATP.
The DNA is “walking” because the system it is in, is naturally trying to reach a lower level of energy (just like in chemistry, where water and oil “likes” to be seperated instead of mixed).
This is done by creating a larger and larger amount of DNA-DNA bindings. When two strands of DNA are bound togeather, they are in a lower state of energy, compared to two similar single stranded DNA – hence why all DNA in our cells are normally double stranded.
I guess they are making each step (T1-T4) able to create more and more DNA-DNA bindings, and therefore it wil “walk” down the steps as it goes towards a lower state of energy.
