DNA Photofluids: An Innovative Breakthrough in Mimicking Cellular Life Behaviors

Current molecular machines face substantial challenges in coordinating their actions in space and time to generate cell-like macroscopic motions. A recent study in Nature Materials introduced a light-responsive artificial DNA nanomachine based on liquid-liquid phase separation technology-photofluids. By applying different light stimuli for spatiotemporal control, this nanomachine system successfully mimics typical cellular behaviors such as division, deformation, pseudopod extension, and rotation at the macroscopic scale for the first time. This study represents an innovative pathway from energy conversion at the molecular level to cell-like motion at the macroscopic level.