In vitro motility assays, where protein motors (attached to a surface) move protein filaments, have been used for investigating protein motors' functions. In recent decades, these assays are extended to explore potential applications of motor proteins as biological motors in nano-bio-machine development. Recent attempts include fabricating micrometer-scale tracks on the surface to confine and guide the flow of bio-filaments as a power transfer medium driven by the motor proteins. Understanding the interaction between bio-filaments and fabricated tracks as well as the mutual interaction between bio-filaments is of importance to the design of potential nano-bio-machines. In this study, we investigate the behaviors of a microtubule driven by axonemal dynein at the collision against another microtubule and micro-fabricated walls, respectively. Based on experimental observations, we propose a model to study possible mechanisms for the microtubule-microtubule and microtubule-wall interactions, which involve bumping force, bending moment and torque generation.
Adhesion and light-load friction are crucial to the effective operation of nano/micro-devices, which are dependent on physical and mechanical properties of two metals in contact. Electron work function (EWF) and elastic modulus of metals have been demonstrated to be dominant parameters for adhesion and light-load friction of metals. This paper presents the authors' recent studies to correlate the elastic properties of metal with the EWF. It is demonstrated that there exists a strong correlation between EWF and elastic behaviour. Such a correlation makes it possible to predict adhesion and elastic-contact friction mainly based on the EWF.
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