Nanoscale assembly line

ETH researchers have realised a long-held dream: inspired by an industrial assembly line, they have developed a nanoscale production line for the assembly of biological molecules.

Cars, planes and many electronic products are now built with the help of sophisticated assembly lines. Mobile assembly carriers, on to which the objects are fixed, are an important part of these assembly lines. In the case of a car body, the assembly components are attached in various work stages arranged in a precise spatial and chronological sequence, resulting in a complete vehicle at the end of the line.

The creation of such an assembly line at molecular level has been a long-held dream of many nanoscientists. “It would enable us to assemble new complex substances or materials for specific applications,” says Professor Viola Vogel, head of the Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich. Vogel has been working on this ambitious project together with her team and has recently made an important step. In a paper published in the latest issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Lab on a Chip journal, the ETH researchers presented a molecular assembly line featuring all the elements of a conventional production line: a mobile assembly carrier, an assembly object, assembly components attached at various assembly stations and a motor (including fuel) for the assembly carrier to transport the object from one assembly station to the next.

Production line three times thinner than a hair

At the nano level, the assembly line takes the form of a microfluid platform into which an aqueous solution is pumped. This platform is essentially a canal system with the main canal just 30 micrometres wide – three times thinner than a human hair. Several inflows and outflows lead to and from the canal at right angles. The platform was developed by Vogel’s PhD student Dirk Steuerwald and the prototype was created in the clean room at the IBM Research Centre in Rüschlikon.

The canal system is fitted with a carpet made of the motor protein kinesin. This protein has two mobile heads that are moved by the energy-rich molecule ATP, which supplies the cells of humans and other life forms with energy and therefore make it the fuel of choice in this artificial system.

Read more . . .

The Latest on: Nanoscale assembly line

[google_news title=”” keyword=”Nanoscale assembly line” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

via Google News

 

See Also

Squeezing light to one atom will pave the way to ultra-small optical switches, detectors and sensors

The Latest on: Nanoscale assembly line

• New imaging technique provides a much closer look at fibril assemblies
  on April 26, 2024 at 10:47 pm

  A new imaging technique developed by engineers at Washington University in St. Louis can give scientists a much closer look at fibril assemblies, stacks of peptides like amyloid beta, most notably ...

• Imaging technique shows new details of peptide structures
  on April 24, 2024 at 11:19 am

  A new imaging technique developed by engineers at Washington University in St. Louis can give scientists a much closer look at fibril assemblies—stacks of peptides that include amyloid beta, most ...

• Apollo the robot joins Mercedes-Benz assembly line production
  on April 13, 2024 at 2:59 am

  Apollo’s powerful arms can lift up to 55 pounds at a time, making it a valuable asset in an assembly line environment. Its swappable battery ensures a runtime of approximately four hours per ...

• Nanomanipulation: Precise Control at the Nanoscale
  on April 13, 2024 at 1:40 am

  Nanomanipulation is the process of precisely controlling and manipulating matter at the nanoscale, typically involving the use ... and 2D materials, as well as the assembly of these building blocks ...

• Assembly Line 2
  on April 10, 2024 at 9:47 am

  In Assembly Line 2, you take charge of your factory, where strategic organization is key. Create intricate production lines, unlocking a plethora of blueprints to craft advanced resources.

• Tesla Tossing Out Henry Ford's Assembly Line
  on April 2, 2024 at 2:39 am

  Tesla is shifting from the traditional conveyor belt assembly line to subassembly areas. This could reduce costs by 40% and make factories cheaper to build. It's part of Tesla's strategy as it ...

• Ten things you should know about nanotechnology
  on January 13, 2024 at 10:30 am

  Fully automated assembly line. The term manufacturing generally conjures up industrial ... There are different ways of manipulating matter at the nanoscale. The two notions you hear most are top-down ...

• Who Invented the Assembly Line?
  on December 20, 2023 at 2:27 pm

  In the early 20th century, a groundbreaking innovation changed the landscape of manufacturing forever: the assembly line. In this system, a product moves along a line, with each worker performing ...

• Nanoscale Horizons
  on October 18, 2023 at 10:37 pm

  Nanoscale Horizons Communications must include a separate ... With the back-to-back linear or spiral assembly of two antiparallel staircase structures into a single sensor, we are able to recognize ...

• assembly line
  on March 2, 2021 at 4:00 pm

  And it wasn’t just the gents who had mad skills — the fine motor control needed for the delicate assembly of the innards of the tubes, which seems to be mostly staffed by women, is just as ...

via  Bing News