Synthetic Muscle Gets Its Punch from Design Method

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering are taking a multidisciplinary approach to building synthetic muscles for applications in regenerative medicine and robotics. Each time a bicep flexes, millions of molecular motors work together in a complex process. These motors - called myosin - are chemically powered proteins. Combinations of them perform different muscular functions like maintaining a heartbeat or lifting weights. By coupling computational design search methods with biomechanical fundamentals, the researchers created a formal approach for designing myosin systems with specific properties. The team developed a new computational model that designs systems in which multiple myosin types operate together. Laboratory experiments then confirmed the computational predictions.