Biomod/2013/Komaba/Design

Cylinder

The cylinder is put in the center of the motor as an axis supporting the rotation. The material DNA is formed into a cylindrical shape using DNA Origami technology. It was designed using cadnano software, which "simplifies and enhances the process of designing three-dimensional DNA origami nanostructures".(Figure 1)

In order to bind footing DNAs on its surface spirally, the cylinder has specific DNA sequences. The footing lane structure enables DNA Spider to orbit the cylinder. In fact, this footing lane has double helix structure and two spiders can walk on the cylinder. In addition, the starting points of spiders are marked with DNA, which make easy to observe the direction of spiders' walk.

The radius of the cylinder is 25.4 nm and height is 43.5 nm. This is calculated on the assumptions that cylinder can be observed with Atomic Force Microscope and that the intervals between the footing lanes are wide enough for spiders not to jump it.(Figure 2)

[Figure 1:cadnanoのデータ][Figure 2:シリンダーの絵]

DNA Spider

The sources of power in rotational motion is DNA Spiders. DNA Spider consists of three DNA Walker which moves on footing by taking strands after another with DNAzyme. As they orbit the cylinder, their rotational movement is transmitted to DNA Ring.

Rotating Ring

実際に回転するのはこのDNA Ringの部分になります。リングあるいは円盤の側面のような形状をしており、整形にはCylinderと同様にDNA Origamiの技術を利用します。この内側にDNA Spiderをつないで、DNA Spiderの移動にRingも連動することになります。

Cylinder Motor (Combination of above parts)

上述の三要素の結合、即ちCylinderとRotate RingをDNA Spiderを仲介させてつなぐことで、モーターの回転運動が実現されます。電気工作で用いるモーターなどとは異なり、軸を固定された中心として周囲が回転します。