Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
13:32

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

DNA machines: bipedal walker and stepper.

Zhen-Gang Wang1, Johann Elbaz, Itamar Willner

  • 1Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.

Nano Letters
|December 21, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Redox- and Photo-Responsive Fe<sup>3+/2+</sup>-Cross-Linked Carboxymethyl Cellulose Methacrylate Dissipative Gels: Synthesis and Applications.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Intracellular logic computing with DNA tetrahedron processors enables precision cancer theranostics.

Signal transduction and targeted therapy·2026
Same author

Dictated cell adhesion and migration using microfluidic-controlled synthetic hydrogels exhibiting programmable viscoelasticities.

Journal of materials chemistry. B·2026
Same author

Photoactivated Signaling Networks using DNA-Based Synthetic Organelles as Biomimetic Protocells.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Dynamic Switchable and Transient DNA Condensates Driven by Aptamer-Ligand or Ion-Nucleobase Bridged Complexes.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Allosteric ligand-aptamer complexes orchestrate supramolecular or transient catalytic, transcription and fibrinogenesis processes.

Chemical science·2026
Same journal

Spider-Silk-Like Single-Fiber Actuators with Two Actuation Modes Driven by Water.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Clicking 1,4-Dithiin Conjugated Dimaleimides for Chiroptical Evolution and Nanofabrication.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Dynamic Quantum Gate Based on Controllable Chiral Liquid Crystal Nanostructure.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Activating Phase-Transition Toughening in van der Waals Semiconductor GaTe.

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Dual-Mode Nucleation and Dynamic Alloying of Silicon on Ag(111).

Nano letters·2026
Same journal

Surface-Neutralized HgCdSe Quantum Dots for High-Detectivity Infrared Photodetectors.

Nano letters·2026
See all related articles

Researchers created DNA nanomachines, a bipedal walker and stepper, that move along DNA tracks. These novel DNA devices are controlled by specific ion and molecule triggers, enabling precise movement for potential nanotechnological applications.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • DNA nanotechnology enables the construction of complex molecular machines.
  • Controlling the movement of DNA-based nanostructures is crucial for their application.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and assemble DNA-based bipedal walkers and steppers.
  • To demonstrate controlled movement of these DNA machines using specific triggers.
  • To optically monitor the operation of these DNA nanomachines.

Main Methods:

  • Assembly of DNA constructs for bipedal walker and stepper.
  • Utilized H(+)/OH(-) and Hg(2+)/cysteine as chemical triggers for DNA machine activation.
  • Employed DNA templates with nucleic acid footholds for directed movement.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami
13:32

Designing a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: July 8, 2013

  • Incorporated fluorophore/quencher labeling for optical tracking.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully assembled and activated DNA bipedal walker and stepper.
    • Demonstrated forward and backward walking on a linear DNA template using ion triggers.
    • Achieved clockwise and anticlockwise stepping on a circular DNA template.
    • Verified machine operation through optical monitoring.

    Conclusions:

    • DNA constructs can be engineered into functional bipedal walkers and steppers.
    • Specific chemical triggers precisely control the direction and movement of DNA nanomachines.
    • Optical tracking confirms the operational capabilities of these DNA-based devices.