Pursuit-and-Evasion Reaction-Diffusion Waves in Microreactors with Tailored Geometry.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Systems
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Out-of-equilibrium chemical systems exhibit self-organization into spatiotemporal patterns like traveling waves and Turing patterns.
• DNA's predictable chemistry makes it a promising candidate for engineering such spatiotemporal structures.
• Initial and boundary conditions significantly influence pattern formation in these systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer and investigate pursuit-and-evasion chemical waves using a DNA-based reaction network with Predator-Prey dynamics.
• To explore the impact of controlled initial and boundary conditions on wave propagation using microfluidics.
• To demonstrate the computational capabilities of DNA-based waves, specifically pathfinding in a maze.

Main Methods:

• Utilized microfluidics to design controlled reactors for investigating chemical wave dynamics.
• Developed two microfabrication strategies to precisely control initial conditions and reactor geometry.
• Employed a DNA-based reaction network exhibiting Predator-Prey dynamics to generate chemical waves.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated and controlled pursuit-and-evasion chemical waves using DNA nanotechnology within microfluidic devices.
• Investigated the influence of reactor geometry, particularly curvature, on wave propagation dynamics.
• Demonstrated that DNA-based chemical waves can compute the optimal path through a maze, showcasing computational potential.

Conclusions:

• Coupling configurable microfluidics with programmable DNA-based dissipative reaction networks provides a powerful platform for studying spatiotemporal order formation.
• Engineered DNA systems offer novel approaches for creating complex chemical dynamics and performing computations.
• This work highlights the potential of DNA nanotechnology in designing responsive and adaptive chemical systems.