| DNA is a wonderful material for nanoscale construction: it is a structural material whose self-assembly can be programmed by making use of its information-carrying capability, and its hybridization can be used as an energy source for molecular devices. I shall describe our recent work on two projects that rely on control of non-equilibrium assembly processes: self-assembly of DNA polyhedra and their applications as molecular cages, and the construction of a free-running synthetic molecular motor fuelled by DNA. Research on synthetic molecular machinery is inspired by biological systems in which individual molecules act, singly and in concert, as specialized machines: our ambition is create new technologies to perform tasks that are currently beyond our reach. DNA nanomachines can be activated by interactions with specific signalling molecules or by changes in their environment. Devices that change state in response to an external trigger might be used for molecular sensing, intelligent drug delivery or programmable chemical synthesis. |
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