| Date | 28th, Nov 2023 |
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A collaborative research effort spearheaded by Nagoya University has uncovered crucial details about the FliG molecule in bacteria’s flagellar motors, offering insights for creating efficient, controllable nanomachines, potentially revolutionizing medical technology and artificial life design.
A research group has made new insights into how locomotion occurs in bacteria. The group identified the FliG molecule in the flagellar layer, the ‘motor’ of bacteria, and revealed its role in the organism. These findings suggest ways in which future engineers could build nanomachines with full control over their movements.
The researchers, who were led by Professor Emeritus Michio Homma and Professor Seiji Kojima of the Graduate School of Science at Nagoya University, in collaboration with Osaka University and Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, published the study in iScience.
As nanomachines become smaller, researchers are taking inspiration from microscopic organisms for ways to make them move and operate. In particular, the flagellar motor can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at a speed of 20,000 rpm. If scaled up, it would be comparable to a Formula One engine with an energy conversion efficiency of almost 100% and the capacity to change its rotation direction instantly at high speeds. Should engineers be able to develop a device like a flagellar motor, it would radically increase the maneuverability and efficiency of nanomachines.
The flagellar motors in bacteria have a rotor and a stationary component that surrounds it, known as the stator. If the flagellum was a part of a car, the stator would be the engine. The rotation of the stator is transmitted to the rotor like a gear, causing the rotor to rotate. Depending on the rotation, the bacterium moves forward or backward, like an automatic car with reverse and drive settings. A protein complex called the C ring controls this motion.
