Development of artificial muscle with oscillatory movement driven by biomolecular motors

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01407
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 20020:Robotics and intelligent system-related
• Research Institution: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: HIRATSUKA Yuichi 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 准教授 (10431818)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 新田 高洋 岐阜大学, 工学部, 准教授 (20402216)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: モータータンパク質 / 人工筋肉 / マイクロロボット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, we developed a genetical engineered bio-molecular artificial muscle which formed by light illumination and demonstrated the possibility of 3D printing of micro-robots using the bio-artificial muscle. Because the bio-artificial muscle only contract one-shut, it is not practical to use the artificial muscle as an actuator of micro-robots. In this study, we focused the oscillatory movement in the biological molecular motors and tried to built the artificial muscle including flagella motors. By using flagella motor purified from chlamydomonas instead of microtubule in kinesin/microtubule artificial muscle system which we have previously developed, the bio-artificial muscle with flagella motors was successfully formed.

Free Research Field

生物物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

微生物や昆虫などの生物は，運動・制御・知能を兼ね備えた究極のマイクロロボットといえる。これは分子レベルから構築された生体の複雑な分子システムにより実現しているが、その仕組みは未だ不明なところが多い。本研究では生体分子を再設計・再構築することを通して生体分子システムを理解し、さらに従来法でなしえない機械システムまたはマイクロロボットの構築を目指している。