DNA photofluids show life-like motion.

Area of Science:

• Soft Matter Physics
• Molecular Engineering
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Cells are active matter, displaying non-equilibrium behaviors driven by molecular machines converting energy.
• Creating artificial systems with similar dynamic, life-like properties is a key goal in materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an active fluid from photoresponsive DNA nanomachines capable of self-organization and macroscopic behaviors.
• To investigate the mechanisms enabling cooperative nanoscale movements and their amplification into cell-like dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Liquid-liquid phase separation of photoresponsive DNA nanomachines to form an active fluid.
• Utilizing light energy to drive nanoscale mechanical movements and observe macroscopic phenomena.
• Identifying key dissipative processes like photoalignment and photofibrillation within DNA droplets.

Main Results:

• The active fluid demonstrated orchestrated and amplified nanoscale movements, resulting in macroscopic behaviors such as elongation, division, and rotation.
• Two key dissipative processes, photoalignment and photofibrillation, were identified as crucial for cooperative molecular motion.
• The system effectively converts photoenergy into ordered, out-of-equilibrium structures and behaviors.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a novel active liquid molecular system that mimics cellular dynamics using DNA nanomachines.
• The findings provide insights into the physical principles of cooperative motion in active matter.
• This work paves the way for developing programmable, interactive, and life-like soft materials.