DNA-Based Molecular Machines: Controlling Mechanisms and Biosensing Applications
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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection
Published on: February 9, 2024
Chunran Ma1, Shiquan Li1, Yuqi Zeng1
1Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
Abstract:
The rise of DNA nanotechnology has driven the development of DNA-based molecular machines, which are capable of performing specific operations and tasks at the nanoscale. Benefitting from the programmability of DNA molecules and the predictability of DNA hybridization and strand displacement, DNA-based molecular machines can be designed with various structures and dynamic behaviors and have been implemented for wide applications in the field of biosensing due to their unique advantages. This review summarizes the reported controlling mechanisms of DNA-based molecular machines and introduces biosensing applications of DNA-based molecular machines in amplified detection, multiplex detection, real-time monitoring, spatial recognition detection, and single-molecule detection of biomarkers. The challenges and future directions of DNA-based molecular machines in biosensing are also discussed.
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