Channel confined kinesin-microtubule biomolecular nanomotors

Kinesins are molecular motors that move along microtubules, and provide a model system for force generation that can be exploited for kinesin-powered nano- and micro-machines. Microtubules are ∼25 nm diameter cylindrical polymers of the protein tubulin and can be nm to μm long. Kinesins bind to microtubules and use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to walk unidirectionally along them at speeds of ∼1 μm/s. In this work, we reverse the typical biological system and move microtubules along surfaces functionalized with kinesin motors. The microtubules then become potential transport vehicles for sensors and lab-on-a-chip applications. A key requirement for extracting useful work from this system is confinement and control of the movement of microtubules over kinesin coated surfaces.