Self-assembling and disassembling swarm molecular robots via DNA molecular controller

Researchers from Tohoku University and Kyoto University have successfully developed a DNA-based molecular controller that autonomously directs the assembly and disassembly of molecular robots.

This pioneering technology marks a significant step towards advanced autonomous molecular systems with potential applications in medicine and nanotechnology.

"Our newly developed molecular controller, composed of artificially designed DNA molecules and enzymes, coexists with molecular robots and controls them by outputting specific DNA molecules," points out Shin-ichiro M. Nomura, an associate professor at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Engineering and co-author of the study.

"This allows the molecular robots to self-assemble and disassemble automatically, without the need for external manipulation."

Such autonomous operation is a crucial advancement, as it enables the molecular robots to perform tasks in environments where external signals cannot reach.

"By developing the molecular controller and combining it with increasingly sophisticated and precise DNA circuits, molecular information amplification devices, and biomolecular design technologies, we expect swarm molecular robots to process a more diverse range of biomolecular information automatically," adds Nomura.

Image source: Kawamata et al. (2024), Science Advances.