Bennett Daviss | Sep 26, 2004 | 6 min read
Erica P. JohnsonA biomolecular 'piston' derived from viral peptides should respond to changes in pH.Engineers expect that tomorrow's nanomachines – biomolecular devices that might patrol cells, repair genes, scour out infections, and haul away debris – will be powered by nature's own motors: the proteins kinesin, myosin, and dynein, which turn adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into fuel and move loads along microtubular tracks of actin and tubulin.It makes sense to use these off-the-shelf