"Problem & Solution"

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 Problem

      Kinesin consumes ATP when the microtubules move on the kinesin, therefore, microtubules cannot move continuously for a long time without addition of ATP. It is highly desired to develop ATP reproducing system.




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 Solution

      Microtubules are driven by kinesin utilizing the energy from hydrolysis of ATP. On the other hand, some biomolecular motor can produce ATP. For example, thylakoid membrane inside chloroplasts included in spinach convert ADP to ATP. We would like to establish a system that can use the ADP to reproduce ATP, which allow microtubules to continue moving. We synthesized micro sized green gels including thylakoid membrane from spinach, which can reproduce ATP from ADP by using the energy from light. This gel is termed as Marimo-gel.