Resource Letter: Bio-molecular Nano-machines: where Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Technology meet

TL;DR

This paper reviews the interdisciplinary study of bio-molecular nano-machines, highlighting how physics, chemistry, and biology converge to understand their mechanisms and potential for artificial design in nanotechnology.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive guide to the literature on bio-molecular nano-machines, emphasizing recent physics-based insights and their implications for artificial nano-machine development.

Findings

Physics concepts enhance understanding of nano-machine mechanisms

Bio-molecular machines are driven by specific fuels and assemblies

Potential for designing artificial nano-machines based on biological principles

Abstract

Cell is the structural and functional unit of life. This Resource Letter serves as a guide to the literature on nano-machines which drive not only intracellular movements, but also motility of the cell. These machines are usually proteins or macromolecular assemblies which require appropriate fuel for their operations. Although, traditionally, these machines were subjects of investigation in biology and biochemistry, increasing use of the concepts and techniques of physics in recent years have contributed to the quantitative understanding of the fundamental principles underlying their operational mechanisms. The possibility of exploiting these principles for the design and control of artificial nano-machines has opened up a new frontier in the bottom-up approach to nano-technology.