DNA-like artificial fibers are 36 times stronger than human muscles

DNA is one of the most impressive examples of the power of compression in nature.It allows you to twist the threads

about 2 meters and place them in one human cage.To do this, DNA uses the process of supercoiling.Recall that supercoiling is the phenomenon of twisting topologically closed DNA strands, as a result of which the axis of the DNA double helix itself twists into a helix of a higher order."Topologically closed" refers to molecules whose ends are difficult to rotate freely (circular DNA molecules or linear molecules whose ends are fixed by protein structures). In addition to DNA, a similar effectcan be seen in everything – the tangled garden hose to the headphone wires.

In a new study, UOW scientistsreproduced this phenomenon when creating artificial muscles. Biologists made them from polyester composite fibers coated with a hydrogel that swells when wet. They were twisted into a DNA helix and then dipped in water to swell.

This usually leads to unraveling of the fibers.However, scientists have found that if you clamp their ends, then they undergo supercoiling. As a result, the threads generate a relatively large amount of mechanical force.

In the experiment, supercoiled fibersshrank to 10% of their original length, generating the equivalent of 1 Joule of energy per gram. The mechanical work that a muscle from such filaments can perform is 36 times higher than that of a comparable human skeletal muscle.

However, as long as the samples are moving quiteslowly due to the mechanism of action of the hydrogel. However, scientists claim that the process can be accelerated by changing the materials or production methods of artificial muscles, leaving the fibers supercoiled.

Read more

Elon Musk: the first tourists to Mars will die

The first accurate map of the world was created. What's wrong with everyone else?

A dead star has been discovered rotating on its axis in a second