A microrotary motor powered by bacteria

doi:10.1073/pnas.0604122103

A microrotary motor powered by bacteria

*Gene Function Research Center,
^‖Advanced Semiconductor Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8562, Japan;
^§Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan; and
^¶Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan

Edited by James A. Spudich, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, and approved July 21, 2006 (received for review May 21, 2006)

Abstract

Biological molecular motors have a number of unique advantages over artificial motors, including efficient conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work and the potential for self-assembly into larger structures, as is seen in muscle sarcomeres and bacterial and eukaryotic flagella. The development of an appropriate interface between such biological materials and synthetic devices should enable us to realize useful hybrid micromachines. Here we describe a microrotary motor composed of a 20-μm-diameter silicon dioxide rotor driven on a silicon track by the gliding bacterium Mycoplasma mobile. This motor is fueled by glucose and inherits some of the properties normally attributed to living systems.

Footnotes

^‡To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yhira{at}iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
↵ ^†Present address: Center for International Research on MicroMechatronics, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan.
↵**Present address: Research Institute for Cell Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8562, Japan.
Author contributions: Y.H. designed research; Y.H. performed research; M.M. and T.T. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; Y.H. analyzed data; and Y.H. and T.Q.P.U. wrote the paper.
Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.