Scientists build 'mechanically active' DNA material

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - 17:30 in Biology & Nature

The DNA gel is composed of stiff DNA nanotubes connected to each other via long, flexible DNA linkers. Artificial muscles and self-propelled goo may be the stuff of Hollywood fiction, but for UC Santa Barbara scientists Omar Saleh and Deborah Fygenson, the reality of it is not that far away. By blending their areas of expertise, the pair have created a dynamic gel made of DNA that mechanically responds to stimuli in much the same way that cells do. The results of their research were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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