Externally-driven ATP-synthase?

D

Dynamo28

Registered Member
Hello, I'm new here and I have a question that has been on my mind for a while. I am a chemical engineer by training, so my experience with biology/genetics is limited...and that's the reason I'm here. So anyway, here's my question.

Has anyone ever thought to look at ways to power the human body directly so that little or no food would actually be required to move our muscles and power our brains? In other words, could we, in principle, couple the rotation of ATP synthase to an external power source, say an electromagnetic field of extremely low frequency? The magnetic components of these fields have previously been shown to interact with biological systems. I was thinking that if you could genetically (or otherwise) modify the rotor of ATP synthase so that it had some sort of "antenna", maybe a large cyclical aromatic molecule or something attached to it, then the magnetic component of the ELF field might be able to induce an opposing magnetic field in the ring which could then be repelled by a static DC magnetic field (e.g. geomagnetic field). The resulting repulsion between the magnetic poles would then act just like an AC motor.

I realize that this is a probably a far-fetched idea but for some reason it resonates with me. Even if it can't be done in the way I've proposed, surely there must be some way that we could couple the rotation of ATP synthase to a power source outside of our bodies. Any thoughts?
 
Dynamo28 said:
Hello, I'm new here and I have a question that has been on my mind for a while. I am a chemical engineer by training, so my experience with biology/genetics is limited...and that's the reason I'm here. So anyway, here's my question.

Has anyone ever thought to look at ways to power the human body directly so that little or no food would actually be required to move our muscles and power our brains? In other words, could we, in principle, couple the rotation of ATP synthase to an external power source, say an electromagnetic field of extremely low frequency? The magnetic components of these fields have previously been shown to interact with biological systems. I was thinking that if you could genetically (or otherwise) modify the rotor of ATP synthase so that it had some sort of "antenna", maybe a large cyclical aromatic molecule or something attached to it, then the magnetic component of the ELF field might be able to induce an opposing magnetic field in the ring which could then be repelled by a static DC magnetic field (e.g. geomagnetic field). The resulting repulsion between the magnetic poles would then act just like an AC motor.

I realize that this is a probably a far-fetched idea but for some reason it resonates with me. Even if it can't be done in the way I've proposed, surely there must be some way that we could couple the rotation of ATP synthase to a power source outside of our bodies. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hello Dynamo28,

just a note to say, i Love the unbriddled thinkers!

Of course, much is esoteric but as you study you can touch on the variables and learn was can and can't be done.

cool painting
 
I think the main problem would be that you would have to create a gradient across the breadth of a biological membrane. EM fields would affect your body or tissue, however the proton gradient has to be between the inside and the outside of a cell to power the synthetase.

Realized that I did not read the OP properly. Still I wonder whether it is possible to create small scale EM fields as it would now have to work on the molecule level (just ignore the membrane part for the moment).
 
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Dynamo28 said:
In other words, could we, in principle, couple the rotation of ATP synthase to an external power source, say an electromagnetic field of extremely low frequency? I was thinking that if you could genetically (or otherwise) modify the rotor of ATP synthase so that it had some sort of "antenna", maybe a large cyclical aromatic molecule or something attached to it, then the magnetic component of the ELF field might be able to induce an opposing magnetic field in the ring which could then be repelled by a static DC magnetic field (e.g. geomagnetic field). The resulting repulsion between the magnetic poles would then act just like an AC motor.
Click to expand...

Wow, what an amazing idea! :eek:

This is a bit too biophysical for me to comment on in any detail; it's not my area. I did do some quick searching and discovered that it is possible to express fusion proteins of ATP synthase subunits and maintain the in vivo activity of the enzyme (see example below). So perhaps it might be feasible to attach an "antenna" to the enzyme. Of course, it would probably vary on a case by case basis as to what you could attach to the enzyme whilst maintaining its activity.


A novel fluorescent marker for assembled mitochondria ATP synthase of yeast. OSCP subunit fused to green fluorescent protein is assembled into the complex in vivo.

Prescott et al., FEBS Lett. 1997 Jul 7;411(1):97-101.

We have shown that OSCP, a subunit of yeast mitochondrial ATP synthase, can be incorporated into the intact enzyme as a fusion protein representing OSCP fused at its C-terminus to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of Aequorea victoria. The relevant fusion OSCP-GFP-h6 additionally contains a hexahistidine tag at the C-terminus. Expression of OSCP-GFP-h6 in yeast cells lacking endogenous OSCP led to the efficient restoration of growth of cells on the non-fermentable substrate, ethanol. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed fluorescence due to GFP in mitochondria of cells expressing OSCP-GFP-h6. Use of immobilised metal ion affinity chromatography enabled the recovery of assembled ATP synthase complexes which contained OSCP-GFP-h6 identified by its mobility on SDS-PAGE and immunoreactivity to anti-OSCP and anti-GFP antibodies. The successful isolation of the assembled multisubunit ATP synthase containing GFP fused to one of the essential subunits of the complex widely expands the potential applications of GFP. In principle, these include the spatial and temporal monitoring of ATP synthase complexes in vivo, and the exploration of interactions involving ATP synthase subunits by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the replies...it is nice to hear others' thoughts on this. Now, as an engineer I could not resist the temptation to calculate the total power required to fuel the entire 6 billion population of the planet. So, here we go...assuming 2000 food calories per day for the average person, that corresponds to roughly 9 kJ per day or 100 W power requirement. Times that by 6.0 X 10^9 people and you get 5.8 X 10^11 W or 581 GW. Let's assume 75% efficiency for our power conversion and you get 726 GW...to power the muscles and brains of all people on earth! That might sound like a lot, but consider that the world at present produces over 370 GW through nuclear energy alone! Imagine if we could build enough nuclear power plants to feed into extremely low frequency radiation facilities that would pump out the "manna from heaven" that would resonate in the ionospheric wave guide (same as Schumann resonance) for all of us to harness.
 
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