James Gallagher

Thanks for the kind words Dean, and for your input in review

Structure-performance relationships for catalysis-driven molecular machinery Molecular machine properties such as speed, efficiency, power, and torque depend upon particular features of structure, mechanism, and chemistry. The graphical abstract shows a Top Trumps-style representation of key performance indicators, illustrating how the first generation of synthetic catalysis-driven small-molecule machines compare with their biomolecular analogs. The understanding of how molecular machine design affects properties should aid technological advancements and a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that link physics, chemistry, and biology.

Online now: Structure-performance relationships for catalysis-driven molecular machinery

Much of the maths is based off work by @deanast.bsky.social. We hope that the plug-and-play nature of the interactive plot lowers the barrier to entry for those (like myself) who are more synthetically inclined.

Motor makers can input the values from their own designs to generate performance outcomes, or experiment with which changes will produce the best outcomes.

The physics of molecular machinery can be confusing. We developed a plug-and-play interactive tool based on trajectory thermodynamics. The user can now visualise how/why motors move directionally or respond to a force (see video), without knowledge of the physics or maths.
github.com/JoaquinBaixe...

Finally, we highlight areas in which artifical machines lag behind their biological counterparts. In doing so, we propose avenues that might be fruitful for future research.

We contextualise the physical background with real examples - biological and artificial - so that it is now possible to compare and contrast a machine's performance. We end the paper with a Top Trumps of biological and artificial motors, comparing directionality, speed, stall force, efficiency, etc.

We often discuss how future artificial nanomachines might be useful. Excitingly, the tools now exist for us to live up to our words. We hope that papers like ours will act as guides to the important mechanistic, physical, and structural considerations underlying task performance.

Structure-performance relationships for catalysis-driven molecular machinery Molecular machine properties such as speed, efficiency, power, and torque depend upon particular features of structure, mechanism, and chemistry. The graphical abstract shows a Top Trumps-style repres...

In biology, molecular machines exist to perform useful functions. Artificial molecular machines now move in the same way as those in biology, but they do not yet perform tasks. Out now in Chem, a guide to task performance in molecular machinery. www.cell.com/chem/fulltex...
@cp-chem.bsky.social

An information ratchet improves selectivity in molecular recognition under non-equilibrium conditions - Nature Nanotechnology An abiotic information ratchet mechanism increases selectivity for the correct DNA duplex from 2:1 at equilibrium to 6:1 under energy-dissipating conditions.

Information ratchets drive many molecular motors, but we can also use them for other nonequilibrium processes like performing error correction in a molecular recognition process to increase selectivity. Published today in @natnano.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I’m excited to share that I will be moving to the University of Ulm as a junior group leader and I have a fully-funded open PhD position co-supervised by me and Max von Delius @mvdelius.bsky.social . Apply at benjamin.roberts@unipd.it, any shares would be appreciated!

www.bmwrlab.com/work-with-us

Peng-Lai, @stefanborsley.bsky.social, Martin & our collaborators Alessandro and @giusepponelab.bsky.social demonstrate how a catalyst transduces chemical energy to perform mechanical work in www.nature.com/articles/s41... in @nature.com. tinyurl.com/jny7nen5. Animation @scicommstudios.bsky.social😀