Catalytic Reconfiguration of Meta-DNA Assemblies.

Area of Science:

• Biomimetic nanotechnology
• DNA nanotechnology
• Materials science

Background:

• Bioinspired nanorobots require adaptive structural reconfiguration for environmental responsiveness.
• A key challenge is balancing structural robustness with rapid reconfiguration capabilities.
• Existing DNA assemblies face limitations in dynamic adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel reconfiguration strategy for meta-DNA (M-DNA) assemblies.
• To overcome the trade-off between robustness and responsiveness in nanostructures.
• To achieve rapid and programmable reconfigurations in adaptive biomimetic nanostructures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized toehold-mediated strand displacement reactions within M-DNA assemblies.
• Integrated cooperative DNA catalysis to accelerate reconfiguration.
• Employed molecular dynamics simulations to analyze reconfiguration pathways.
• Applied modular design principles for hierarchical M-DNA assemblies.

Main Results:

• Accelerated M-DNA reconfiguration by over an order of magnitude (from >12 h to <2 h).
• Achieved a maximum rate constant of 1.88 × 10^5 M^-1 s^-1.
• Demonstrated cooperative multivalent pathways driving efficient strand displacement and reconfiguration.
• Successfully achieved rapid and programmable reconfigurations in hierarchical M-DNA assemblies.

Conclusions:

• The developed strategy overcomes the intrinsic trade-off between robustness and dynamic adaptability in submicron DNA assemblies.
• This approach establishes a generalizable principle for engineering adaptive biomimetic nanostructures.
• The findings pave the way for advanced, responsive nanomaterials and nanorobots.