This project investigates how molecular motors convert chemical energy into directed mechanical motion, with a particular focus on the role of functional motor architecture in enabling efficient and reliable performance at the nanoscale. While natural protein motors in living cells achieve remarkable functionality, key questions remain about the physical principles governing their operation and the fundamental limits of speed, precision, and efficiency in mechano-chemical energy transduction.

To address these questions, we combine modular design, single-molecule experiments, coarse-grained modeling, and stochastic thermodynamics in a "learning-by-building" approach, using artificial protein motors as controllable test systems. Building on the first synthetic walking protein motor, Tumbleweed, the project aims to optimize motor performance, quantify fluctuation-driven trade-offs, and develop new functional designs, ultimately revealing general design principles for synthetic molecular machines.

The theoretical research at Nordita is embedded in and funded by the ERC synergy project "ArtMotor" (https://artmotor-synergy.eu/).