Bio-NEMS Drill!

Traditionally pathogens have been annihilated using pharmaceuticals, but today nanotechnology offers a new possibility with the use of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). We present a novel device that could make these processes possible: the BioNEMS Drill. This is a magnetic portion of chromatin. To construct the device we synthesized hydrophilic magnetite. We used it due to its bio-compatibility for medical applications and later functionalized them with amino groups, which can establish a peptide bond between nanoparticles and a protein. We used the HU histone-like protein, capable of coiling DNA around the nanoparticles. To get enough protein, we modified E. Coli to overexpress it. Since the core of the device is magnetic it can be controlled by applying an external magnetic field. Furthermore, the versatility of the DNA to be coated with various materials and its functionalization can selectively remove certain chemicals inside the human body such as cholesterol or toxic agents.