Development of single-molecule methods measuring energy conversion processes of biological and synthetic molecular engines

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Molecular Engine: Design of Autonomous Functions through Energy Conversion
• Project/Area Number: 18H05424
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: Institute for Molecular Science
• Principal Investigator: IINO RYOTA 分子科学研究所, 生命・錯体分子科学研究領域, 教授 (70403003)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 笠井 倫志 岐阜大学, 糖鎖生命コア研究所, 特任准教授 (20447949)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 分子モーター / １分子計測 / 分子機械

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed new single-molecule measurement method to visualize the movement and energy conversion process of biological, artificial, and hybrid molecular engines that convert energy while moving autonomously. Major achievements include: 1) development of a method to track the movement of biological and hybrid molecular engines with atomic-level localization precision, 2) development of a method to simultaneously track the movement of multiple types of molecular engines with high time resolution and high localization precision, 3) development of a method to track the movement of artificial molecular engines in living cells, and 4) elucidation of the operational mechanisms of molecular engines using the developed method.

Free Research Field

生物物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

発動分子が自律的に動き続けながら高効率にエネルギーを変換する仕組みを理解するには、エネルギー変換を行う際の発動分子の動きを原子レベルで詳細に理解することが重要である。本研究で開発した１分子計測法を様々な発動分子へと適用することで、その仕組みの理解がさらに深まると期待される。そして将来的には、新たな高効率エネルギー変換デバイス（例えば発電素子）の開発、原理実証、および社会実装につながると期待される。