Study of active self-assembly using biomolecular motors

Self-propelled biomolecular motor systems, such as microtubule-kinesin or microtubule-dynein, are intricate natural machines with the ability to convert chemical energy into mechanical work with high efficiency. In recent years, the biomolecular motor systems have emerged as promising candidates for studying active self-assembly based on the in vitro gliding assay of the motor systems. Several strategies have been developed to demonstrate the active self-assembly of biomolecular motors, which provided a wealth of organized and complex structures. Here we review the latest progress in the active self-assembly of microtubule-kinesin and microtubule-dynein with an emphasis on the emergence of various structures and necessary design parameters for controlling their polymorphism