Biomolecular motor-based cargo transporters with loading/unloading mechanisms on a micro-patterned DNA array

This paper describes research in creating autonomous cargo transporters that load, transport, and unload cargo molecules using the machinery in living cells. By exploiting biomolecular motor-based motility and DNA hybridization, we constructed autonomous cargo transporters and demonstrated that kinesin-driven microtubules can selectively load and transport cargoes toward micro- patterned DNA spots designed to be unloading sites and selectively unload the transported cargoes at the DNA spots specified by particular DNA base sequences. These autonomous operations may help create highly miniaturized on-chip-systems such as molecular sorters and sensors, and may also provide an alternative technology to pressure-driven or electrokinetic flow-based microfluidic devices.