Have you ever wondered what the world’s smallest biological rotary motor looks like? Scientists at the University of Tokyo have just figured it out! Their research, published in Nature, has revealed the structure and function of the rotary motor found in the bacterium Spiroplasma kunkelii. By understanding the mechanism of this motor, researchers can now explore its potential use in biomedical and nanotechnology applications. This rotary motor is made up of two protein rings that rotate against each other and is powered by an ATP molecule. It is incredibly small, measuring only 6 nanometers in diameter, which is about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair. The researchers were able to see the details of this motor thanks to cryo-electron microscopy and computational analysis. This is an exciting discovery that could lead to the development of new medical technologies, as well as the potential for bio-inspired nanomachines.

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source: Phys.org