What are molecular machines?
- Molecular machines or nanomachines are the world’s smallest machines.
- Molecular machines are single-molecules that behave much like the machines people encounter every day: They have controllable movements and can perform a task with the input of energy
- Their working is inspired by proteins that naturally act as biological machines within cells.
- Molecular machines are discrete number of synthetic molecular components fused together.
- They produce quasi-mechanical movements in response to specific external stimuli such as light or temperature change.
- Molecular machines can be put to work as tiny motors, pistons ratchets or wheels to produce mechanical motion and can move objects many time their size.
Future Potential Applications:
- Molecular machines can be developed to function as artificial muscles to power tiny robots or even prosthetic limbs in case of Bionics.
- They may lead to developments like new sensors, materials and energy storage systems.
- They can be used to deliver drugs within the human body directly to target a specific area of tissue to medicate or cancerous cells.
- They can be used to design of a molecular computer which could be placed inside the body to detect disease even before any symptoms are exhibited.