ProgNanoRobot | Programmable NanoRobotics for Controlled Manipulation of Molecular Cargoes

Summary
Molecular machines are among the most complex of all functional molecules and lie at the heart of nearly every biological process. The controlled manipulation of molecular-level structures through programmable small-molecule robotics is a fabulous challenge that could lead us towards the dawn of an era of useful molecular nanotechnology.
“ProgNanoRobot” project aims to design, construct and investigate the operation of artificial molecular nanorobots capable of transporting a molecule cargo in a programmable fashion. We will develop key methodologies needed to manipulate molecular fragments using a molecular robotic arm operating through the formation and cleavage of dynamic covalent bonds, building on a rotary switch in which the rotor and stator can be positioned with respect to each other. We will explore different component types to find the best programmable small-molecule robotic systems and develop a toolbox of robotic machine components. We will use them as the basis for molecular machines that can transport molecular cargoes of biological relevance over long distances and to select between different cargoes and move them between multiple sites on molecular platforms in either direction. Moreover, we will employ a chemical fuel that induces pH oscillations in the reaction medium to allow the autonomous operation of these systems, a key development to reach the full potential of molecular machines, which will enable them to work as effective molecular assembly lines.
We envisage that the domain of this new generation of molecular robotics will be useful for the development of molecular-sized machines that can manipulate substrates to control sequence-specific oligomer construction and molecular manufacturing.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/837339
Start date: 01-04-2019
End date: 31-03-2021
Total budget - Public funding: 224 933,76 Euro - 224 933,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Molecular machines are among the most complex of all functional molecules and lie at the heart of nearly every biological process. The controlled manipulation of molecular-level structures through programmable small-molecule robotics is a fabulous challenge that could lead us towards the dawn of an era of useful molecular nanotechnology.
“ProgNanoRobot” project aims to design, construct and investigate the operation of artificial molecular nanorobots capable of transporting a molecule cargo in a programmable fashion. We will develop key methodologies needed to manipulate molecular fragments using a molecular robotic arm operating through the formation and cleavage of dynamic covalent bonds, building on a rotary switch in which the rotor and stator can be positioned with respect to each other. We will explore different component types to find the best programmable small-molecule robotic systems and develop a toolbox of robotic machine components. We will use them as the basis for molecular machines that can transport molecular cargoes of biological relevance over long distances and to select between different cargoes and move them between multiple sites on molecular platforms in either direction. Moreover, we will employ a chemical fuel that induces pH oscillations in the reaction medium to allow the autonomous operation of these systems, a key development to reach the full potential of molecular machines, which will enable them to work as effective molecular assembly lines.
We envisage that the domain of this new generation of molecular robotics will be useful for the development of molecular-sized machines that can manipulate substrates to control sequence-specific oligomer construction and molecular manufacturing.

Status

TERMINATED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2018

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
MSCA-IF-2018