1. Artificial molecular machines

Since the early 1990s, chemists have been able to synthesize molecular machines (Box 1), physicists have been able to immobilize them on a surface and manipulate them one by one under the tip of a Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM), and biophysicists have been able to manipulate and model the mechanochemical functioning of "natural molecular machines" (proteins).

In the course of our research, we visited laboratories to conduct in situ interviews with researchers working in the field of molecular machines (a list of the laboratories we visited can be found in the "Find out more" section). We wanted them to tell us about their practices and, through their practices, how they "value" these objects.