Molecular ratchets: unlocking the chemistry of biological motion
By 
Anna Demming2026-07-20T13:35:00
Motor proteins power everything from muscle contraction to bacterial swimming. While replicating their chemically fuelled directional motion in the laboratory has proved difficult, researchers are making progress and developing molecular ratchets and motors that do useful work
Food fuels life, but what gives that chemistry direction? From the molecular motors that power muscles to artificial machines that can contract like muscles and pump molecules against a gradient, scientists are beginning to unravel how molecular ratchets drive systems away from equilibrium to perform useful work. As researchers build ever more sophisticated synthetic versions and develop new theories to explain nature’s remarkable efficiency, they are uncovering principles that could help power the next generation of nanotechnology.