A robot from a DNA molecule could walk about 50 steps.
A group of scientists under the leadership of Milan Stojanovic (Milan Stojanovic) from Columbia University have designed a four-legged robot from the DNA molecule that can move independently along a given route. During the experiments, the spider-like mechanism independently made about 50 steps, having moved a distance of 100 nanometers (previously, no nanobot could take more than three steps).
Programming the route of the robot is performed on a special matrix. The green dot is the starting position, the brown dots are movement markers, the red dots are control and stop.
The mechanics of walking are based on the fact that fragments of the DNA polymerase enzyme are attached to the three legs of the robot , and route markers are made from it. The fourth leg is required for braking and stopping on “red” markers.
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The properties of DNA polymerase are such that the legs of the robot are attracted to the points of the route and cut off a piece of them. After that, this marker becomes “passed” and the leg is no longer attracted to it. The other leg automatically feels for the next marker on the route, and the process repeats there. The process is very slow, but true. Thus, it is possible to ensure continuous movement of the robot along any path marked with markers.
This is an important discovery on the way to the creation of autonomous assembly plants at the nanoscale. In addition, in the future it will be possible to create molecular robots that can function in the human body. For example, delivering drugs to individual cells or doing minor repairs in the body (according to Stoyanovich, this will be possible, probably, in 100 years).
The results of their work, scientists have published in the journal Nature. The program code of markers and other elements is published in the annex to the article .
Programming the route of the robot is performed on a special matrix. The green dot is the starting position, the brown dots are movement markers, the red dots are control and stop.
The mechanics of walking are based on the fact that fragments of the DNA polymerase enzyme are attached to the three legs of the robot , and route markers are made from it. The fourth leg is required for braking and stopping on “red” markers.
')
The properties of DNA polymerase are such that the legs of the robot are attracted to the points of the route and cut off a piece of them. After that, this marker becomes “passed” and the leg is no longer attracted to it. The other leg automatically feels for the next marker on the route, and the process repeats there. The process is very slow, but true. Thus, it is possible to ensure continuous movement of the robot along any path marked with markers.
This is an important discovery on the way to the creation of autonomous assembly plants at the nanoscale. In addition, in the future it will be possible to create molecular robots that can function in the human body. For example, delivering drugs to individual cells or doing minor repairs in the body (according to Stoyanovich, this will be possible, probably, in 100 years).
The results of their work, scientists have published in the journal Nature. The program code of markers and other elements is published in the annex to the article .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/93573/
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