Biomolecular motors are the active workhorses in our cells. They are complexes of two or more proteins that convert chemical energy, usually in the form of the high-energy phosphate bond of ATP, into directed motion. The most familiar motor proteins are myosins which move along actin filaments, as well as members of the kinesin and dynein families which move along microtubules. Among other tasks, these motors drive the contraction of muscle, move intracellular cargo over long distances and aid cell division. Our group is interested in the development and the application of novel optical techniques to investigate these motors during molecular transport in cell biology and nanotechnology. Building on our experience in single molecule biophysics and in the in vitro reconstruction of subcellular mechano-systems we study cooperative effects in motor transport and cell motility. Moreover we aim to apply biomolecular motor systems in synthetic, engineered environments for the generation and manipulation of nanostructures as well as novel approaches in molecular detection and parallel biocomputation.

The Teams Link is: Intro lecture Stefan Diez