Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Fast, efficient sperm tails inspire nanobiotechnology

Graphic depicts the tethered enzymes and free-floating enzymes.
CREDIT
Cornell University
Graphic depicts the tethered enzymes and free-floating enzymes. CREDIT Cornell University

Abstract:
Just like workers in a factory, enzymes can create a final product more efficiently if they are stuck together in one place and pass the raw material from enzyme to enzyme, assembly line-style. That's according to scientists at Cornell's Baker Institute for Animal Health, the first team to recreate a 10-step biological pathway with all the enzymes tethered to nanoparticles.

Fast, efficient sperm tails inspire nanobiotechnology

Ithaca, NY | Posted on December 5th, 2016

They were inspired to study how nanoparticles could gain biological functions through the enzymes that drive sperm tails, which turn sugar into lactate and energy so quickly that sperm can speed along at five body lengths per second.

"Sperm have a highly efficient energy-producing system," said the study's lead author, Chinatsu Mukai, a postdoctoral research associate. In the Baker Institute laboratory of Alex Travis, associate professor of reproductive biology, Mukai and others had been studying metabolism and sperm function. Travis had the idea to mimic the way sperm tail enzymes are attached to a solid support in an attempt to achieve the same sort of efficiency on small man-made devices. The study was supported by a Pioneer Grant from the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Angewandte Chemie Nov. 30.

In most cells, the majority of enzymes that carry out the process of turning sugar into energy, called glycolysis, are floating around, picking up the molecules they work on as they happen along. But in sperm, the enzymes that carry out glycolysis have special regions that attach the enzymes to a solid protein scaffold that lies just beneath the membrane covering the cell and runs most of the length of the tail.

"Sugar comes in through the membrane, hits the enzymes immediately underneath, and then is processed and passed down the line, giving energy production in a high-throughput fashion," said Travis.

The system Mukai, Travis and their team developed works in much the same way: The sugar molecule is processed from start to finish by enzymes attached to nanoparticles. Compared with enzymes floating free in solution, the tethered enzyme system processed glucose to the end product, lactate, more efficiently, leaving lower concentrations of intermediate products than the free-floating enzyme system. Getting a 10-step pathway to function with all the components tethered is an exponential increase over previous studies, which reported a maximum of two to three steps.

If the work can be enhanced to be a net producer of energy, there could be a number of practical applications, Travis said. In sperm, the energy is used for swimming and the signaling that allows it to fertilize an egg, but in nanobiotechnology, the energy could be used to power devices that carry out a variety of jobs.

"Imagine devices the size of blood cells, each holding a chemotherapy drug. If outfitted with this kind of engine, then the devices could make their own energy from sugar in the bloodstream. Using molecular pumps powered by that energy, the devices could kick out that drug cargo at defined rates, and specifically where it's needed, such as at the site of a solid tumor," said Travis. His team has already applied the concept of tethered enzymes in a device to detect signs of stroke or traumatic brain injury in blood samples, a technology that he and his lab are planning to commercialize.

It may even represent a step closer to realizing the potential of artificial cells, said Mukai.

"You can't make an artificial cell without metabolic pathways, so this is progress in that direction," she said.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Melissa Osgood

607-255-2059

Copyright © Cornell University

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Synthetic Biology

Rice University launches Rice Synthetic Biology Institute to improve lives January 12th, 2024

Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology launched by Allen Institute, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the University of Washington will turn cells into recording devices to unlock secrets of disease: First-of-its-kind research initiative will develop technologies to reveal how changes i December 8th, 2023

The medicine of the future could be artificial life forms October 6th, 2023

Bioinformatics tool accurately tracks synthetic: DNA Computer scientists show benefits of bioinformatics with PlasmidHawk February 26th, 2021

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Nanomedicine

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Nanobiotechnology

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project