Weizmann Institute Scientists Create DNA-Controlled Artificial Materials

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed two novel types of artificial active materials that can be programmed to move and change shape. One material utilizes a genetic code to produce its own molecular motors, allowing it to generate movement and self-organize. The other material uses DNA strands to synchronize the motion of its components, creating coordinated flows and oscillations.

In the first breakthrough, published in Nature Materials, scientists led by Dr. Alexandra Tayar integrated DNA and a gene expression system into a network of microtubules. This enabled the material to synthesize its own motors based on genetic information, controlling the timing, speed, and transitions between mechanical states. The researchers also used 3D-printed microstructures to guide the formation and spread of protrusions within the material, demonstrating how geometric constraints can also be programmed.

This genetically controlled material was programmed to perform specific tasks, such as a short movement followed by braking, using a gene for a bridging protein that acts like "Velcro." Another program involved periodic bursts of motion, achieved by a protein that halts motor production after a set time. "We turned familiar biological variables, like gene expression rate or genetic feedback loops, into physical variables that can predict and shape artificial material properties," stated Dr. Tayar.

The second study, featured in Nature Physics, explored how DNA can organize and synchronize movement. Researchers observed that long DNA segments, when entangled within the active material, created a three-dimensional network. This network generated rhythmic oscillations, with the amplitude increasing as the network became more complex. The DNA strands acted like molecular springs, stretching and releasing energy to influence the material's motion.

"We discovered that the oscillations are created due to a delayed reaction of the DNA network: when the active material flows in a certain direction, it stretches the network for about ten minutes, until it reaches its limit, and only then does it contract and pull it in the opposite direction," explained doctoral student Maya Levannon. The length of the DNA was crucial for bridging adjacent micro-vortices and achieving stable, synchronized movement.

These advancements provide engineers and drug developers with new mechanical and genetic tools for designing materials. Dr. Tayar expressed hope that this research will lead to the development of smarter materials, such as soft robots that adapt their shape and function on demand, and more efficient targeted therapies. The research also suggests that long polymers, like those found in biological mucus, might play a role in synchronizing and optimizing movement in natural systems.