Genetically Expressed RNA Strand Displacement for Cellular Manipulation

Nucleic acid strand displacement is a pivotal concept in dynamic nucleic acid nanotechnologies, which has been extensively investigated and applied across various fields. Compared with DNA systems, the genetically expressed RNA strand displacement technology offers unique advantages for construction of genetic circuits in living cells, where RNA expression and modulation may be seamlessly integrated into the genomic network for long-term and stable regulations of diversified biological functionalities. This Concept paper provides an overview of previous efforts on developments of synthetic gene circuits through utilization of RNA strand displacement, including our endeavors in this field. Moreover, future prospects, potential applications and challenges of the genetically expressed RNA strand displacement technology are also discussed.