Motors and membranes: closing the gap between light-activated molecular rotary machines and biological applications

Over the past two decades, light-driven rotary molecular motors have gained considerable attention and fundamental understanding, with applications in catalysis and materials. Despite these advances, scaling their functionality from the nanoscale to the macroscopic world presents significant challenges. While their behavior in solution is well understood, embedding molecular motors into systems with precise spatio-temporal control—especially biological systems—remains difficult. Maintaining efficiency and molecular control without compromising biological functions requires a detailed and careful effort.
With this thesis, I aim to clear the path for the application of light-activated rotary machines into the living world, providing examples of meticulous chemical design and experimental considerations.
A significant focus is on biological membranes, where molecular motors demonstrate the ability to reshape and expand on-demand. The research also introduces smart drug delivery systems, where light-triggered molecular motors enable precise, controlled drug release, paving the way for personalized treatments. Additionally, supramolecular conformational changes driven by motor rotation are explored to address current therapeutic limitations.
Together, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of how light-activated molecular rotary motors interact with biological structures in the macroworld and aims to guide future investigations to unknown and exciting new applications in living systems.
This thesis is also a clear example of multidisciplinary and wants to encourage people working between different fields to feel empowered and capable of taking the lead on their research. Do not be afraid of jumping into new fields of knowledge or being different, multidisciplinary as well as multiculturality can only bring us forward.