In nature, biological machines can perform sophisticated and subtle functions to maintain the metabolism of organisms. Inspired from these natural gorgeous works, scientists have developed various artificial molecular motors and machines. However, selective transport of biomolecules across membrane has remained a great challenge.

Recently, a group led by Prof. JIANG Lei at Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, has realized a new modulated system that performs a light-driven transmembrane capture-release-transport of target biomolecules through the artificial nanochannels.

A bioinspired modulated biomolecule transport system was designed by employing light-responsive DNA and solid-state nanochannel. The system that applies light-manipulated nanoactuation with DNA aptamer unfolding and refolding for biomolecule capture-release-transport process, offers the nondestructive transportation of specific molecules across the membrane through a robust and tunable process. With alternant light irradiation, these ATP transport lines can selectively shepherd cargoes across the polymer membrane. These findings point to new opportunities for manipulating and improving the mass transportation and separation with light-controlled biomolecular motors, and can be used for other molecules and ions transmembrane transport powered by light.

The study entitled “Light-Driven ATP Transmembrane Transport Controlled by DNA Nanomachines” has been recently published in Journal of the American Chemical Society (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 16048-16052).

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jacs.8b10527 

Scheme of light-driven ATP transmembrane transport.