Length-Dependence and Spatial Structure of DNA Partitioning into a DNA Liquid

Constructing Stiffness Tunable DNA Hydrogels Based on DNA Modules with Adjustable Rigidity

DNA hydrogel represents a potent material for crafting biological scaffolds, but the toolbox to systematically regulate the mechanical property is still limited. Herein, we have provided a strategy to tune the stiffness of DNA hydrogel through manipulating the rigidity of DNA modules. By introducing building blocks with higher molecular rigidity and proper connecting fashion, DNA hydrogel stiffness could be systematically elevated. These hydrogels showed excellent dynamic properties and biocompatibility, thus exhibiting great potential in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture. This study has offered a systematic method to explore the structure-property relationship, which may contribute to the development of more intelligent and personalized biomedical platforms.

Programmable Computational RNA Droplets Assembled via Kissing-Loop Interaction

DNA droplets, artificial liquid-like condensates of well-engineered DNA sequences, allow the critical aspects of phase-separated biological condensates to be harnessed programmably, such as molecular sensing and phase-state regulation. In contrast, their RNA-based counterparts remain less explored despite more diverse molecular structures and functions ranging from DNA-like to protein-like features. Here, we design and demonstrate computational RNA droplets capable of two-input AND logic operations. We use a multibranched RNA nanostructure as a building block comprising multiple single-stranded RNAs. Its branches engaged in RNA-specific kissing-loop (KL) interaction enables the self-assembly into a network-like microstructure. Upon two inputs of target miRNAs, the nanostructure is programmed to break up into lower-valency structures that are interconnected in a chain-like manner. We optimize KL sequences adapted from viral sequences by numerically and experimentally studying the base-wise adjustability of the interaction strength. Only upon receiving cognate microRNAs, RNA droplets selectively show a drastic phase-state change from liquid to dispersed states due to dismantling of the network-like microstructure. This demonstration strongly suggests that the multistranded motif design offers a flexible means to bottom-up programming of condensate phase behavior. Unlike submicroscopic RNA-based logic operators, the macroscopic phase change provides a naked-eye-distinguishable readout of molecular sensing. Our computational RNA droplets can be applied to in situ programmable assembly of computational biomolecular devices and artificial cells from transcriptionally derived RNA within biological/artificial cells.

DNA-empowered synthetic cells as minimalistic life forms

Cells, the fundamental units of life, orchestrate intricate functions - motility, adaptation, replication, communication, and self-organization within tissues. Originating from spatiotemporally organized structures and machinery, coupled with information processing in signalling networks, cells embody the 'sensor-processor-actuator' paradigm. Can we glean insights from these processes to construct primitive artificial systems with life-like properties? Using de novo design approaches, what can we uncover about the evolutionary path of life? This Review discusses the strides made in crafting synthetic cells, utilizing the powerful toolbox of structural and dynamic DNA nanoscience. We describe how DNA can serve as a versatile tool for engineering entire synthetic cells or subcellular entities, and how DNA enables complex behaviour, including motility and information processing for adaptive and interactive processes. We chart future directions for DNA-empowered synthetic cells, envisioning interactive systems wherein synthetic cells communicate within communities and with living cells.

Nucleic acid liquids

The confluence of recent discoveries of the roles of biomolecular liquids in living systems and modern abilities to precisely synthesize and modify nucleic acids (NAs) has led to a surge of interest in liquid phases of NAs. These phases can be formed primarily from NAs, as driven by base-pairing interactions, or from the electrostatic combination (coacervation) of negatively charged NAs and positively charged molecules. Generally, the use of sequence-engineered NAs provides the means to tune microsopic particle properties, and thus imbue specific, customizable behaviors into the resulting liquids. In this way, researchers have used NA liquids to tackle fundamental problems in the physics of finite valence soft materials, and to create liquids with novel structured and/or multi-functional properties. Here, we review this growing field, discussing the theoretical background of NA liquid phase separation, quantitative understanding of liquid material properties, and the broad and growing array of functional demonstrations in these materials. We close with a few comments discussing remaining open questions and challenges in the field.

Dynamic control of DNA condensation

Artificial biomolecular condensates are emerging as a versatile approach to organize molecular targets and reactions without the need for lipid membranes. Here we ask whether the temporal response of artificial condensates can be controlled via designed chemical reactions. We address this general question by considering a model problem in which a phase separating component participates in reactions that dynamically activate or deactivate its ability to self-attract. Through a theoretical model we illustrate the transient and equilibrium effects of reactions, linking condensate response and reaction parameters. We experimentally realize our model problem using star-shaped DNA motifs known as nanostars to generate condensates, and we take advantage of strand invasion and displacement reactions to kinetically control the capacity of nanostars to interact. We demonstrate reversible dissolution and growth of DNA condensates in the presence of specific DNA inputs, and we characterize the role of toehold domains, nanostar size, and nanostar valency. Our results will support the development of artificial biomolecular condensates that can adapt to environmental changes with prescribed temporal dynamics.

Controlling the size and adhesion of DNA droplets using surface- enriched DNA molecules

Liquid droplets of biomolecules serve as organizers of the cellular interior and are of interest in biosensing and biomaterials applications. Here, we investigate means to tune the interfacial properties of a model biomolecular liquid consisting of multi-armed DNA 'nanostar' particles. We find that long DNA molecules that have binding affinity for the nanostars are preferentially enriched on the interface of nanostar droplets, thus acting as surfactants. Fluorescent measurements indicate that, in certain conditions, the interfacial density of the surfactant is around 20 per square micron, indicative of a sparse brush-like structure of the long, polymeric DNA. Increasing surfactant concentration leads to decreased droplet size, down to the sub-micron scale, consistent with droplet coalesence being impeded by the disjoining pressure created by the brush-like surfactant layer. Added DNA surfactant also keeps droplets from adhering to both hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid surfaces, apparently due to this same disjoining effect of the surfactant layer. We thus demonstrate control of the size and adhesive properties of droplets of a biomolecular liquid, with implications for basic biophysical understanding of such droplets, as well as for their applied use.

Coacervate Droplets for Synthetic Cells

The design and construction of synthetic cells - human-made microcompartments that mimic features of living cells - have experienced a real boom in the past decade. While many efforts have been geared toward assembling membrane-bounded compartments, coacervate droplets produced by liquid-liquid phase separation have emerged as an alternative membrane-free compartmentalization paradigm. Here, the dual role of coacervate droplets in synthetic cell research is discussed: encapsulated within membrane-enclosed compartments, coacervates act as surrogates of membraneless organelles ubiquitously found in living cells; alternatively, they can be viewed as crowded cytosol-like chassis for constructing integrated synthetic cells. After introducing key concepts of coacervation and illustrating the chemical diversity of coacervate systems, their physicochemical properties and resulting bioinspired functions are emphasized. Moving from suspensions of free floating coacervates, the two nascent roles of these droplets in synthetic cell research are highlighted: organelle-like modules and cytosol-like templates. Building the discussion on recent studies from the literature, the potential of coacervate droplets to assemble integrated synthetic cells capable of multiple life-inspired functions is showcased. Future challenges that are still to be tackled in the field are finally discussed.

Controlling liquid-liquid phase behaviour with an active fluid

Demixing binary liquids is a ubiquitous transition explained using a well-established thermodynamic formalism that requires the equality of intensive thermodynamics parameters across phase boundaries. Demixing transitions also occur when binary fluid mixtures are driven away from equilibrium, but predicting and designing such out-of-equilibrium transitions remains a challenge. Here we study the liquid-liquid phase separation of attractive DNA nanostars driven away from equilibrium using a microtubule-based active fluid. We find that activity lowers the critical temperature and narrows the range of coexistence concentrations, but only in the presence of mechanical bonds between the liquid droplets and reconfiguring active fluid. Similar behaviours are observed in numerical simulations, suggesting that the activity suppression of the critical point is a generic feature of active liquid-liquid phase separation. Our work describes a versatile platform for building soft active materials with feedback control and providing an insight into self-organization in cell biology.

DNA droplets for intelligent and dynamical artificial cells: from the viewpoint of computation and non-equilibrium systems

Living systems are molecular assemblies whose dynamics are maintained by non-equilibrium chemical reactions. To date, artificial cells have been studied from such physical and chemical viewpoints. This review briefly gives a perspective on using DNA droplets in constructing artificial cells. A DNA droplet is a coacervate composed of DNA nanostructures, a novel category of synthetic DNA self-assembled systems. The DNA droplets have programmability in physical properties based on DNA base sequence design. The aspect of DNA as an information molecule allows physical and chemical control of nanostructure formation, molecular assembly and molecular reactions through the design of DNA base pairing. As a result, the construction of artificial cells equipped with non-equilibrium behaviours such as dynamical motions, phase separations, molecular sensing and computation using chemical energy is becoming possible. This review mainly focuses on such dynamical DNA droplets for artificial cell research in terms of computation and non-equilibrium chemical reactions.

Vacuole dynamics and popping-based motility in liquid droplets of DNA

Liquid droplets of biomolecules play key roles in organizing cellular behavior, and are also technologically relevant, yet physical studies of dynamic processes of such droplets have generally been lacking. Here, we investigate and quantify the dynamics of formation of dilute internal inclusions, i.e., vacuoles, within a model system consisting of liquid droplets of DNA 'nanostar' particles. When acted upon by DNA-cleaving restriction enzymes, these DNA droplets exhibit cycles of appearance, growth, and bursting of internal vacuoles. Analysis of vacuole growth shows their radius increases linearly in time. Further, vacuoles pop upon reaching the droplet interface, leading to droplet motion driven by the osmotic pressure of restriction fragments captured in the vacuole. We develop a model that accounts for the linear nature of vacuole growth, and the pressures associated with motility, by describing the dynamics of diffusing restriction fragments. The results illustrate the complex non-equilibrium dynamics possible in biomolecular condensates.

Sequence-dependent fusion dynamics and physical properties of DNA droplets

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymer molecules generates liquid-like droplets. Physical properties such as viscosity and surface tension play important roles in the functions of these droplets. DNA-nanostructure-based LLPS systems provide useful model tools to investigate the influence of molecular design on the physical properties of the droplets, which has so far remained unclear. Herein, we report changes in the physical properties of DNA droplets by sticky end (SE) design in DNA nanostructures. We used a Y-shaped DNA nanostructure (Y-motif) with three SEs as a model structure. Seven different SE designs were used. The experiments were performed at the phase transition temperature where the Y-motifs self-assembled into droplets. We found that the DNA droplets assembled from the Y-motifs with longer SEs exhibited a longer coalescence period. In addition, the Y-motifs with the same length but different sequence SEs showed slight variations in the coalescence period. Our results suggest that the SE length greatly affected the surface tension at the phase transition temperature. We believe that these findings will accelerate our understanding of the relationship between molecular design and the physical properties of droplets formed via LLPS.

DNA Droplets: Intelligent, Dynamic Fluid

Breathtaking advances in DNA nanotechnology have established DNA as a promising biomaterial for the fabrication of programmable higher-order nano/microstructures. In the context of developing artificial cells and tissues, DNA droplets have emerged as a powerful platform for creating intelligent, dynamic cell-like machinery. DNA droplets are a microscale membrane-free coacervate of DNA formed through phase separation. This new type of DNA system couples dynamic fluid-like property with long-established DNA programmability. This hybrid nature offers an advantageous route to facile and robust control over the structures, functions, and behaviors of DNA droplets. This review begins by describing programmable DNA condensation, commenting on the physical properties and fabrication strategies of DNA hydrogels and droplets. By presenting an overview of the development pathways leading to DNA droplets, it is shown that DNA technology has evolved from static, rigid systems to soft, dynamic systems. Next, the basic characteristics of DNA droplets are described as intelligent, dynamic fluid by showcasing the latest examples highlighting their distinctive features related to sequence-specific interactions and programmable mechanical properties. Finally, this review discusses the potential and challenges of numerical modeling able to connect a robust link between individual sequences and macroscopic mechanical properties of DNA droplets.

Prebiotic Foam Environments to Oligomerize and Accumulate RNA

When water interacts with porous rocks, its wetting and surface tension properties create air bubbles in large number. To probe their relevance as a setting for the emergence of life, we microfluidically created foams that were stabilized with lipids. A persistent non-equilibrium setting was provided by a thermal gradient. The foam's large surface area triggers capillary flows and wet-dry reactions that accumulate, aggregate and oligomerize RNA, offering a compelling habitat for RNA-based early life as it offers both wet and dry conditions in direct neighborhood. Lipids were screened to stabilize the foams. The prebiotically more probable myristic acid stabilized foams over many hours. The capillary flow created by the evaporation at the water-air interface provided an attractive force for molecule localization and selection for molecule size. For example, self-binding oligonucleotide sequences accumulated and formed micrometer-sized aggregates which were shuttled between gas bubbles. The wet-dry cycles at the foam bubble interfaces triggered a non-enzymatic RNA oligomerization from 2',3'-cyclic CMP and GMP which despite the small dry reaction volume was superior to the corresponding dry reaction. The found characteristics make heated foams an interesting, localized setting for early molecular evolution.

Engineering DNA-based synthetic condensates with programmable material properties, compositions, and functionalities

Biomolecular condensates participate in diverse cellular processes, ranging from gene regulation to stress survival. Bottom-up engineering of synthetic condensates advances our understanding of the organizing principle of condensates. It also enables the synthesis of artificial systems with novel functions. However, building synthetic condensates with a predictable organization and function remains challenging. Here, we use DNA as a building block to create synthetic condensates that are assembled through phase separation. The programmability of intermolecular interactions between DNA molecules enables the control over various condensate properties including assembly, composition, and function. Similar to the way intracellular condensates are organized, DNA clients are selectively partitioned into cognate condensates. We demonstrate that the synthetic condensates can accelerate DNA strand displacement reactions and logic gate operation by concentrating specific reaction components. We envision that the DNA-based condensates could help the realization of the high-order functions required to build more life-like artificial systems.

The Growth Rate of DNA Condensate Droplets Increases with the Size of Participating Subunits

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a common phenomenon underlying the formation of dynamic membraneless organelles in biological cells, which are emerging as major players in controlling cellular functions and health. The bottom-up synthesis of biomolecular liquid systems with simple constituents, like nucleic acids and peptides, is useful to understand LLPS in nature as well as to develop programmable means to build new amorphous materials with properties matching or surpassing those observed in natural condensates. In particular, understanding which parameters determine condensate growth kinetics is essential for the synthesis of condensates with the capacity for active, dynamic behaviors. Here we use DNA nanotechnology to study artificial liquid condensates through programmable star-shaped subunits, focusing on the effects of changing subunit size. First, we show that LLPS is achieved in a 6-fold range of subunit size. Second, we demonstrate that the rate of growth of condensate droplets scales with subunit size. Our investigation is supported by a general model that describes how coarsening and coalescence are expected to scale with subunit size under ideal assumptions. Beyond suggesting a route toward achieving control of LLPS kinetics via design of subunit size in synthetic liquids, our work suggests that particle size may be a key parameter in biological condensation processes.

Nucleic Acids Modulate Liquidity and Dynamics of Artificial Membraneless Organelles

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) emerges as a fundamental underlying mechanism for the biological organization, especially the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) hosting intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) as scaffolds. Nucleic acids are compositional biomacromolecules of MLOs with wide implications in normal cell functions as well as in pathophysiology caused by aberrant phase behavior. Exploiting a minimalist artificial membraneless organelles (AMLO) from LLPS of IDP-mimicking polymer-oligopeptide hybrid (IPH), we investigated the effect of nucleic acids with different lengths and sequence variations on AMLO. The behavior of this AMLO in the presence of DNAs and RNAs resembled natural MLOs in multiple aspects, namely, modulated propensity of formation, morphology, liquidity, and dynamics. Both DNA and RNA could enhance the LLPS of AMLO, while compared with RNA, DNA had a higher tendency to solidify and diminish dynamics thereof. These findings suggest its potential as a concise model system for the understanding of the interaction between nucleic acids and natural MLOs and for studying the molecular mechanism of diseases involving MLOs.

Capsule-like DNA Hydrogels with Patterns Formed by Lateral Phase Separation of DNA Nanostructures

Phase separation is a key phenomenon in artificial cell construction. Recent studies have shown that the liquid-liquid phase separation of designed-DNA nanostructures induces the formation of liquid-like condensates that eventually become hydrogels by lowering the solution temperature. As a compartmental capsule is an essential artificial cell structure, many studies have focused on the lateral phase separation of artificial lipid vesicles. However, controlling phase separation using a molecular design approach remains challenging. Here, we present the lateral liquid-liquid phase separation of DNA nanostructures that leads to the formation of phase-separated capsule-like hydrogels. We designed three types of DNA nanostructures (two orthogonal and a linker nanostructure) that were adsorbed onto an interface of water-in-oil (W/O) droplets via electrostatic interactions. The phase separation of DNA nanostructures led to the formation of hydrogels with bicontinuous, patch, and mix patterns, due to the immiscibility of liquid-like DNA during the self-assembly process. The frequency of appearance of these patterns was altered by designing DNA sequences and altering the mixing ratio of the nanostructures. We constructed a phase diagram for the capsule-like DNA hydrogels by investigating pattern formation under various conditions. The phase-separated DNA hydrogels did not only form on the W/O droplet interface but also on the inner leaflet of lipid vesicles. Notably, the capsule-like hydrogels were extracted into an aqueous solution, maintaining the patterns formed by the lateral phase separation. In addition, the extracted hydrogels were successfully combined with enzymatic reactions, which induced their degradation. Our results provide a method for the design and control of phase-separated hydrogel capsules using sequence-designed DNAs. We envision that by incorporating various DNA nanodevices into DNA hydrogel capsules, the capsules will gain molecular sensing, chemical-information processing, and mechanochemical actuating functions, allowing the construction of functional molecular systems.

Quantifying viscosity and surface tension of multicomponent protein-nucleic acid condensates

Living cells organize their internal space into dynamic condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation of multivalent proteins in association with cellular nucleic acids. Here, we study how variations in nucleic acid (NA)-to-protein stoichiometry modulate the condensed phase organization and fluid dynamics in a model system of multicomponent heterotypic condensates. Employing a multiparametric approach comprised of video particle tracking microscopy and optical tweezer-induced droplet fusion, we show that the interfacial tension, but not viscosity, of protein-NA condensates is controlled by the NA/protein ratio across the two-phase regime. In parallel, we utilize fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to quantify protein and NA diffusion in the condensed phase. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal that the diffusion of the component protein and NA within the condensate core is governed by the viscosity, and hence, also remains insensitive to the changes in NA-to-protein stoichiometry. Collectively, our results provide insights into the regulation of multicomponent heterotypic liquid condensates, reflecting how the bulk mixture composition affects their core versus surface organization and dynamical properties.

Programmable and Chemically Fueled DNA Coacervates by Transient Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation

Multivalency-driven liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is essential in biomolecular condensates to facilitate spatiotemporal regulation of biological functions. Providing programmable model systems would help to better understand the LLPS processes in biology, and furnish new types of compartmentalized synthetic reaction crucibles that exploit biological principles. Herein, we demonstrate a concept for programming LLPS using transient multivalency between ATP-driven sequence-defined functionalized nucleic acid polymers (SfNAPs), which serve as simple models for membrane-less organelles. The ATP-driven SfNAPs are transiently formed by an enzymatic reaction network (ERN) of concurrent ATP-powered DNA ligation and DNA restriction. The lifetimes can be programmed by the ATP concentration, which manifests on the LLPS length scale in tunable lifetimes for the all-DNA coacervates. Critically, the prominent programmability of the DNA-based building blocks allows to encode distinct molecular recognitions for multiple multivalent systems, enabling sorted LLPS and thus multicomponent DNA coacervates, reminiscent of the diverse membraneless organelles in biological systems. The ATP-driven coacervates are capable for multivalent trapping of micron-scale colloids and biomolecules to generate functions as emphasized for rate enhancements in enzymatic cascades. This work supports ATP-driven multivalent coacervation as a valuable mechanism for dynamic multicomponent and function biomolecular condensate mimics and for autonomous materials design in general.

Designing the Morphology of Separated Phases in Multicomponent Liquid Mixtures

Phase separation of multicomponent liquid mixtures plays an integral part in many processes ranging from industry to cellular biology. In many cases the morphology of coexisting phases is crucially linked to the function of the separated mixture, yet it is unclear what determines the morphology when multiple phases are present. We developed a graph theory approach to predict the topology of coexisting phases from a given set of surface energies, enumerate all topologically distinct morphologies, and reverse engineer conditions for surface energies that produce the target morphology.

Sequence-Controlled Adhesion and Microemulsification in a Two-Phase System of DNA Liquid Droplets

Membrane-less organelles, the liquid droplets formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules in cells, act to organize intracellular components into multiple compartments. As a model for this process, and as a potential vehicle for in vitro exploitation of its properties, we explore here a synthetic multiphase LLPS system consisting of a mixture of self-assembled DNA particles. The particles, termed "DNA nanostars" (NSs), consist of four double-stranded DNA arms that each terminate in a single-stranded overhang. NSs condense into droplets due to overhang hybridization. Using two types of NSs with orthogonal overhangs enables the creation of two types of immiscible DNA droplets. Adhesion between the droplets can be tuned by the addition of "cross-linker NSs" that have two overhang sequences of each type. We find that increasing the amount of the cross-linker NSs decreases the droplet/droplet surface tension until a microemulsion transition occurs. Controlled droplet adhesion can also be achieved, without cross-linkers, using overhangs that can weakly hybridize. Finally, we show that solutes can be specifically targeted to the DNA phases by labeling them with appropriate sticky-ends. Overall, our findings demonstrate the ability to create a multiphase LLPS system, and to control its mesoscale configuration, via sequence design of the component molecules.

Gelling without Structuring: A SAXS Study of the Interactions among DNA Nanostars

We evaluate, by means of synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, the shape and mutual interactions of DNA tetravalent nanostars as a function of temperature in both the gas-like state and across the gel transition. To this end, we calculate the form factor from coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations with a novel method that includes hydration effects; we approximate the radial interaction of DNA nanostars as a hard-sphere potential complemented by a repulsive and an attractive Yukawa term; and we predict the structure factors by exploiting the perturbative random phase approximation of the Percus-Yevick equation. Our approach enables us to fit all the data by selecting the particle radius and the width and amplitude of the attractive potential as free parameters. We determine the evolution of the structure factor across gelation and detect subtle changes of the effective interparticle interactions, that we associate to the temperature and concentration dependence of the particle size. Despite the approximations, the approach here adopted offers new detailed insights into the structure and interparticle interactions of this fascinating system.

Enzymatic degradation of liquid droplets of DNA is modulated near the phase boundary

Biomolecules can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), forming dense droplets that are increasingly understood to be important for cellular function. Analogous systems are studied as early-life compartmentalization mechanisms, for applications as protocells, or as drug-delivery vehicles. In many of these situations, interactions between the droplet and enzymatic solutes are important to achieve certain functions. To explore this, we carried out experiments in which a model LLPS system, formed from DNA "nanostar" particles, interacted with a DNA-cleaving restriction enzyme, SmaI, whose activity degraded the droplets, causing them to shrink with time. By controlling adhesion of the DNA droplet to a glass surface, we were able to carry out time-resolved imaging of this "active dissolution" process. We found that the scaling properties of droplet shrinking were sensitive to the proximity to the dissolution ("boiling") temperature of the dense liquid: For systems far from the boiling point, enzymes acted only on the droplet surface, while systems poised near the boiling point permitted enzyme penetration. This was corroborated by the observation of enzyme-induced vacuole-formation ("bubbling") events, which can only occur through enzyme internalization, and which occurred only in systems poised near the boiling point. Overall, our results demonstrate a mechanism through which the phase stability of a liquid affects its enzymatic degradation through modulation of enzyme transport properties.

Sequence-based engineering of dynamic functions of micrometer-sized DNA droplets

DNA has the potential to achieve a controllable macromolecular structure, such as hydrogels or droplets formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), as the design of its base sequence can result in programmable interactions. Here, we constructed "DNA droplets" via LLPS of sequence-designed DNA nanostructures and controlled their dynamic functions by designing their sequences. Specifically, we were able to adjust the temperature required for the formation of DNA droplets by designing the sequences. In addition, the fusion, fission, and formation of Janus-shaped droplets were controlled by sequence design and enzymatic reactions. Furthermore, modifications of proteins with sequence-designed DNAs allowed for their capture into specific droplets. Overall, our results provide a platform for designing and controlling macromolecular droplets via the information encoded in component molecules and pave the way for various applications of sequence-designed DNA such as cell mimics, synthetic membraneless organelles, and artificial molecular systems.