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Dissipative DNA nanotechnology

Nature Chemistry volume 14, pages 600–613 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a powerful tool to precisely design and control molecular circuits, machines and nanostructures. A major goal in this field is to build devices with life-like properties, such as directional motion, transport, communication and adaptation. Here we provide an overview of the nascent field of dissipative DNA nanotechnology, which aims at developing life-like systems by combining programmable nucleic-acid reactions with energy-dissipating processes. We first delineate the notions, terminology and characteristic features of dissipative DNA-based systems and then we survey DNA-based circuits, devices and materials whose functions are controlled by chemical fuels. We emphasize how energy consumption enables these systems to perform work and cyclical tasks, in contrast with DNA devices that operate without dissipative processes. The ability to take advantage of chemical fuel molecules brings dissipative DNA systems closer to the active molecular devices that exist in nature.

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Fig. 1: Nucleic-acid circuits operating via dissipative reactions.
Fig. 2: DNA walkers.
Fig. 3: Dissipative tweezer-like DNA-based switches.
Fig. 4: Ligand-binding DNA-based devices for the transient load and release of a molecular cargo.
Fig. 5: Dissipative DNA-based structures.
Fig. 6: ATP-fuelled activation and dynamization of a covalent and transient dsDNA-based chain growth.
Fig. 7: A route toward the design of active DNA materials based on the operation of microtubules.

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Acknowledgements

F.R. is thankful for support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant project no. 819160) and Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, AIRC (project no. 21965). L.J.P. acknowledges the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (grant no. 2017E44A9P). E.F. acknowledges financial support by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under award no. DE-SC-0010595.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Erica Del Grosso & Francesco Ricci

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Elisa Franco

  3. Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Leonard J. Prins

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  1. Erica Del Grosso
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  2. Elisa Franco
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  3. Leonard J. Prins
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  4. Francesco Ricci
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E.D.G., E.F., L.J.P. and F.R. contributed to discussions and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Elisa Franco, Leonard J. Prins or Francesco Ricci.

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Nature Chemistry thanks Chunhai Fan and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Del Grosso, E., Franco, E., Prins, L.J. et al. Dissipative DNA nanotechnology. Nat. Chem. 14, 600–613 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-00957-6

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