A new way to use the chemical reactions of certain enzymes to trigger self-powered mechanical movement has been developed by a team of researchers at Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh.

These enzyme micropumps could be used for detecting substances, moving particles to build small structures, and delivering medications.

“One potential use is the release of insulin to a diabetes patient from a reservoir at a rate proportional to the concentration of glucose in the person’s blood,” said Ayusman Sen, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Penn State. “Another example is an enzyme pump that is triggered by nerve toxins to release an antidote agent to decontaminate and treat an exposed person.

The pumps provide precise control over flow rate without the aid of an external power source and are capable of turning on in response to specific chemicals in solution.

A paper describing the team’s research was published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team’s research was supported by the Charles E. Kauffman Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Absract of Convective flow reversal in self-powered enzyme micropumps