Towards synthetic biology: design of artificial molecular machines

Analyzing nonlinear conformational relaxation dynamics in elastic
networks corresponding to two classical motor proteins, we find that
they respond by well defined internal mechanical motions to various
initial deformations and that these motions are robust against
external perturbations. We show that this behavior is not
characteristic for random elastic networks. However, special network
architectures with such properties can be designed by evolutionary
optimization methods. Using them, an example of an artificial elastic
network, operating as a cyclic machine powered by ligand binding, is
constructed [1].

[1] Y. Togashi and A. S. Mikhailov "Nonlinear relaxation dynamics in
elastic networks and design principles of molecular machines" Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), 104, 8697 (2007)