10 January 2002

Nanotechnology: Flip the switch

The 35-nm reach of a DNA 'rotor' described in last week's Nature illustrates DNA's versatility as a component in nanoscale devices. But if biomolecules are to be harnessed effectively, direct control using an electronic interface will be necessary. A new approach to creating that interface couples a radio-frequency magnetic field to a nanocrystal antenna 1 nm long, covalently linked to a DNA molecule. Electronic switching of the magnetic field provides remote electronic control over the hydridization behaviour of the DNA molecule, through local heating associated with the inductive coupling between the field and the nanocrystal antenna.

Remote electronic control of DNA hybridization through inductive coupling to an attached metal nanocrystal antenna
KIMBERLY HAMAD-SCHIFFERLI, JOHN J. SCHWARTZ, AARON T. SANTOS, SHUGUANG ZHANG & JOSEPH M. JACOBSON
Nature 415, 152–155 (10 January 2002)
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