Powerful Molecular Motor Permits Speedy Assembly of Viruses

A team of physicists at the University of California, San Diego and biologists at *Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.* has shown that a tiny viral motor generates twice as much power, relative to its size, as an automobile engine. The finding explains why even very large viruses can self-assemble so rapidly. In the study, published October 23 in the journal *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, the researchers used laser tweezers to measure the forces generated by a **nanoscale motor** that packs DNA into a virus during the assembly of an infectious virus particle. They discovered that the motor is considerably stronger than any known molecular motors, including those responsible for muscle contraction. The researchers say this power allows the virus to reel in its long genome with remarkable speed. #img_758#.<> *Cutaway of virus with DNA being packaged within. Image credit: Steven McQuinn, Science Artist; Doug Smith, UCSD; Bonnie Draper and Venigalla Rao, Catholic University of America* Source: "http://physorg.com":[ http://physorg.com/news112896152.html]

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