Tiny axles and rotors made of protein could power molecular machines

Molecular engines were created inside E. coli The first components of a molecular engine – self-assembling axles and rotors made of specially designed proteins – have been created entirely from scratch. "We are starting very simply," says Alexis Courbet at the University of Washington. But as he and his team create more basic parts, it will become possible to combine them into ever more sophisticated nanomachines, he says. "There could really be an incredible number of applications," says David Baker, a team member also at the University of Washington. For instance, nanomachines might one day be used to unclog arteries or to repair damaged cells, he says.