Unexpected discovery: Protein can conduct electricity

Protein - bricks that make up cells, are often considered an inert substance. However, scientists have discovered a protein with amazing functions: conducting electricity.

If this finding is well researched and put into use, we will have an effective diagnostic tool for medical purposes. It is capable of identifying individual protein molecules with a small current.

Research has been carried out for four years by Arizona State University researchers. They have been diligently examining their work, making many different theories and finding explanations for all. Eventually they came to the conclusion that they actually found a protein that could conduct electricity.

Dr. Stuart Lindsay, lead researcher, said: " If what we think is right, this will be a big surprise. Our research mainly examines hypotheses in data and eliminates all what is considered false '.

First, researcher Lindsay and his team developed parts to read small DNA and amino acids. This device can separate individual molecules between electrodes - a technology known as a "recognition tunnelling" tunnel.

After achieving success with individual molecules, the team of scientists made a further study. They wonder if with the same electrical impulse, can all proteins be identified? The researchers used a glue that contains the alphaVbeta3 protein to connect the two electrodes together, and found that the protein has a high electrical conductivity.

Protein can conduct electricity.(Photo: TWStock).

In the following years, the team tried to find an explanation that was appropriate for this phenomenon. There are many hypotheses, such as 'electronic jump' - electronics can jump at long distances between atoms. But these explanations do not match the data obtained in the experiment.

Later, Mr. Lindsay accidentally read the work of Gabor Vattay, a theoretical physicist at Loránd Eötvös University in Hungary. Vattay came up with an idea based on quantum mechanics: the protein lies in an equilibrium between electrical conductivity and insulation.

An electric oscillator can activate a protein, turning it into an electrical or electrical conductor, Vattay said. This seems to be consistent with the experiments that Mr. Lindsay and his colleagues are working on.

Researcher Lindsay said: "In our experiments, we observed the odd behavior of a huge amount of conductive protein. It's not static, it's dynamic. We know that. , normally protein is an insulator, but when there are vibrations - they will change '.

The researchers came up with the idea: there are three curves in the distribution of energy levels of proteins. A curve shows the state of metal or conductivity, a curve showing the insulation state, while the middle curve is in a quantum state between two conductive and insulating properties.

With the help of Vattay and a number of supercomputing models, researchers were able to integrate the alphaVbeta3 protein with quantum states. In carefully prepared experiments, scientists can create devices that turn on, turn off the conductive mode of proteins.

Until now, scientists are still very cautious with their findings. They have only experimented with a protein and many other proteins have similar properties that they still cannot explain. Hope future research can fill these gaps.

"Basically, we have eliminated all unreliable sources of data, and still see a large amount of protein that is electrically conductive. They still lie there and put on a new property. Magic!' , researcher Lindsay said.

Understanding the properties of proteins is thought to open potential applications in health. The entire study was published in Nano Futures.