Control of gliding microtubules using photosensitive composite and its application to molecular transportation system

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13730
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 20020:Robotics and intelligent system-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Nakahara Tasuku 山口大学, 大学院創成科学研究科, 助教 (00756968)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: キネシン / 微小管 / MicroTAS / MEMS / BioMEMS / 感光性複合材料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For developing motility assay of microtubules as a molecular transportation system, we fabricated a system, which enables to control the direction and velocity of gliding microtubules on a chip. We used a photosensitive composite made of mixing photoresist and copper particles, and made a micro patterned structure using the photolithography process. Since copper particles of composite generate the phototermal effect by using excitation light used for fluorescent observation of microtubules, this effect enables us to perform the observation of microtubules and control of temperature on the device simultaneously. In this study, we controlled the direction of gliding microtubules physically using the fabricated micro patterned structure, and controlled the moving velocity using the rise of temperature generated by photothermal effect.

Free Research Field

BioMEMS

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに微小管運動の移動方向と速度の制御機構をチップ上に集積化させる方法は提案されておらず、分子輸送システムとしての有用性は明らかにされていない。本研究で提案したシステムは、微小管の移動方向と速度制御技術を一つのチップ上に集積化させたものであり、微小管運動の制御システムとしての発展に資するものであると考えられる。今後、本研究で提案したシステムを用いて分子スケールの迅速な物質輸送が実証できれば、極少量の試料から目的の物質を検出する技術として、様々な分野での応用が期待できる。