DNA-enabled integrated molecular systems for computation and sensing

Effect of hydrophilicity-imparting substituents on exciton delocalization in squaraine dye aggregates covalently templated to DNA Holliday junctions

Molecular aggregates exhibit emergent properties, including the collective sharing of electronic excitation energy known as exciton delocalization, that can be leveraged in applications such as quantum computing, optical information processing, and light harvesting. In a previous study, we found unexpectedly large excitonic interactions (quantified by the excitonic hopping parameter Jm,n) in DNA-templated aggregates of squaraine (SQ) dyes with hydrophilic-imparting sulfo and butylsulfo substituents. Here, we characterize DNA Holliday junction (DNA-HJ) templated aggregates of an expanded set of SQs and evaluate their optical properties in the context of structural heterogeneity. Specifically, we characterized the orientation of and Jm,n between dyes in dimer aggregates of non-chlorinated and chlorinated SQs. Three new chlorinated SQs that feature a varying number of butylsulfo substituents were synthesized and attached to a DNA-HJ via a covalent linker to form adjacent and transverse dimers. Various characteristics of the dye, including its hydrophilicity (in terms of log Po/w) and surface area, and of the substituents, including their local bulkiness and electron withdrawing capacity, were quantified computationally. The orientation of and Jm,n between the dyes were estimated using a model based on Kühn-Renger-May theory to fit the absorption and circular dichroism spectra. The results suggested that adjacent dimer aggregates of all the non-chlorinated and of the most hydrophilic chlorinated SQ dyes exhibit heterogeneity; that is, they form a mixture of dimers subpopulations. A key finding of this work is that dyes with a higher hydrophilicity (lower log Po/w) formed dimers with smaller Jm,n and large center-to-center dye distance (Rm,n). Also, the results revealed that the position of the dye in the DNA-HJ template, that is, adjacent or transverse, impacted Jm,n. Lastly, we found that Jm,n between symmetrically substituted dyes was reduced by increasing the local bulkiness of the substituent. This work provides insights into how to maintain strong excitonic coupling and identifies challenges associated with heterogeneity, which will help to improve control of these dye aggregates and move forward their potential application as quantum information systems.

Pursuing excitonic energy transfer with programmable DNA-based optical breadboards

DNA nanotechnology has now enabled the self-assembly of almost any prescribed 3-dimensional nanoscale structure in large numbers and with high fidelity. These structures are also amenable to site-specific modification with a variety of small molecules ranging from drugs to reporter dyes. Beyond obvious application in biotechnology, such DNA structures are being pursued as programmable nanoscale optical breadboards where multiple different/identical fluorophores can be positioned with sub-nanometer resolution in a manner designed to allow them to engage in multistep excitonic energy-transfer (ET) via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) or other related processes. Not only is the ability to create such complex optical structures unique, more importantly, the ability to rapidly redesign and prototype almost all structural and optical analogues in a massively parallel format allows for deep insight into the underlying photophysical processes. Dynamic DNA structures further provide the unparalleled capability to reconfigure a DNA scaffold on the fly in situ and thus switch between ET pathways within a given assembly, actively change its properties, and even repeatedly toggle between two states such as on/off. Here, we review progress in developing these composite materials for potential applications that include artificial light harvesting, smart sensors, nanoactuators, optical barcoding, bioprobes, cryptography, computing, charge conversion, and theranostics to even new forms of optical data storage. Along with an introduction into the DNA scaffolding itself, the diverse fluorophores utilized in these structures, their incorporation chemistry, and the photophysical processes they are designed to exploit, we highlight the evolution of DNA architectures implemented in the pursuit of increased transfer efficiency and the key lessons about ET learned from each iteration. We also focus on recent and growing efforts to exploit DNA as a scaffold for assembling molecular dye aggregates that host delocalized excitons as a test bed for creating excitonic circuits and accessing other quantum-like optical phenomena. We conclude with an outlook on what is still required to transition these materials from a research pursuit to application specific prototypes and beyond.

Intramolecular Charge Transfer and Ultrafast Nonradiative Decay in DNA-Tethered Asymmetric Nitro- and Dimethylamino-Substituted Squaraines

Molecular (dye) aggregates are a materials platform of interest in light harvesting, organic optoelectronics, and nanoscale computing, including quantum information science (QIS). Strong excitonic interactions between dyes are key to their use in QIS; critically, properties of the individual dyes govern the extent of these interactions. In this work, the electronic structure and excited-state dynamics of a series of indolenine-based squaraine dyes incorporating dimethylamino (electron donating) and/or nitro (electron withdrawing) substituents, so-called asymmetric dyes, were characterized. The dyes were covalently tethered to DNA Holliday junctions to suppress aggregation and permit characterization of their monomer photophysics. A combination of density functional theory and steady-state absorption spectroscopy shows that the difference static dipole moment (Δd) successively increases with the addition of these substituents while simultaneously maintaining a large transition dipole moment (μ). Steady-state fluorescence and time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies uncover a significant nonradiative decay pathway in the asymmetrically substituted dyes that drastically reduces their excited-state lifetime (τ). This work indicates that Δd can indeed be increased by functionalizing dyes with electron donating and withdrawing substituents and that, in certain classes of dyes such as these asymmetric squaraines, strategies may be needed to ensure long τ, e.g., by rigidifying the π-conjugated network.

Tunable Electronic Structure via DNA-Templated Heteroaggregates of Two Distinct Cyanine Dyes

Molecular excitons are useful for applications in light harvesting, organic optoelectronics, and nanoscale computing. Electronic energy transfer (EET) is a process central to the function of devices based on molecular excitons. Achieving EET with a high quantum efficiency is a common obstacle to excitonic devices, often owing to the lack of donor and acceptor molecules that exhibit favorable spectral overlap. EET quantum efficiencies may be substantially improved through the use of heteroaggregates-aggregates of chemically distinct dyes-rather than individual dyes as energy relay units. However, controlling the assembly of heteroaggregates remains a significant challenge. Here, we use DNA Holliday junctions to assemble homo- and heterotetramer aggregates of the prototypical cyanine dyes Cy5 and Cy5.5. In addition to permitting control over the number of dyes within an aggregate, DNA-templated assembly confers control over aggregate composition, i.e., the ratio of constituent Cy5 and Cy5.5 dyes. By varying the ratio of Cy5 and Cy5.5, we show that the most intense absorption feature of the resulting tetramer can be shifted in energy over a range of almost 200 meV (1600 cm^-1). All tetramers pack in the form of H-aggregates and exhibit quenched emission and drastically reduced excited-state lifetimes compared to the monomeric dyes. We apply a purely electronic exciton theory model to describe the observed progression of the absorption spectra. This model agrees with both the measured data and a more sophisticated vibronic model of the absorption and circular dichroism spectra, indicating that Cy5 and Cy5.5 heteroaggregates are largely described by molecular exciton theory. Finally, we extend the purely electronic exciton model to describe an idealized J-aggregate based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and discuss the potential advantages of such a device over traditional FRET relays.

Tuning between Quenching and Energy Transfer in DNA-Templated Heterodimer Aggregates

Molecular excitons, which propagate spatially via electronic energy transfer, are central to numerous applications including light harvesting, organic optoelectronics, and nanoscale computing; they may also benefit applications such as photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging through the local generation of heat via rapid excited-state quenching. Here we show how to tune between energy transfer and quenching for heterodimers of the same pair of cyanine dyes by altering their spatial configuration on a DNA template. We assemble "transverse" and "adjacent" heterodimers of Cy5 and Cy5.5 using DNA Holliday junctions. We find that the transverse heterodimers exhibit optical properties consistent with excitonically interacting dyes and fluorescence quenching, while the adjacent heterodimers exhibit optical properties consistent with nonexcitonically interacting dyes and disproportionately large Cy5.5 emission, suggestive of energy transfer between dyes. We use transient absorption spectroscopy to show that quenching in the transverse heterodimer occurs via rapid nonradiative decay to the ground state (∼31 ps) and that in the adjacent heterodimer rapid energy transfer from Cy5 to Cy5.5 (∼420 fs) is followed by Cy5.5 excited-state relaxation (∼700 ps). Accessing such drastically different photophysics, which may be tuned on demand for different target applications, highlights the utility of DNA as a template for dye aggregation.

Visually predicting microRNA-regulated tumor metastasis by intracellularly 3D counting of fluorescent spots based on in situ growth of DNA flares

INTRODUCTION

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been revealed to be critical genetic regulators in various physiological processes and thus quantitative information on the expression level of critical miRNAs has important implications for the initiation and development of human diseases, including cancers.

OBJECTIVES

We herein develop three-dimensionally (3D) counting of intracellular fluorescent spots for accurately evaluating microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) expression in individual HeLa cells based on stimuli-activated in situ growth of optical DNA flares, grid-patterned DNA-protein hybrids (GDPHs).

METHODS

Target miRNA is sequence-specifically detected down to 10 pM owing to efficient signal amplification. Within living cells, GDPH flares are nuclease resistant and discrete objects with retarded mobility, enabling the screening of intracellular location and distribution of miRNAs and realizing in situ counting of target species with a high accuracy.

RESULTS

The quantitative results of intracellular miRNAs by 3D fluorescence counts are consistent with qPCR gold standard assay, exhibiting the superiority over 2D counts. By screening the expression of intracellular miR-21 that can down-regulate the programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) protein, the proliferation and migration of HeLa cells, including artificially-regulated ones, were well estimated, thus enabling the prediction of cancer metastasis in murine tumor models.

CONCLUSION

The experiments in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo demonstrate that GDPH-based 3D fluorescence counts at the single cell level provide a valuable molecular tool for understanding biological function of miRNAs and especially for recognizing aggressive CTCs, offering a design blueprint for further expansion of DNA structural nanotechnology in predicting distant metastasis and prevention of tumor recurrence after primary resection.

Biological Effect of Differently Sized Tetrahedral Framework Nucleic Acids: Endocytosis, Proliferation, Migration, and Biodistribution

With the advent of nanotechnology, DNA nanostructures have been widely applied in various fields, particularly biology and biomedicine. Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (TFNAs), a novel type of DNA nanomaterial, have attracted considerable attention due to their simple synthesis, high accessibility, structural stability, and versatility. However, to date, the interaction of differently sized TFNAs with living systems and their ability to be endocytosed and biodistributed in mouse is still not fully understood. To screen for the optimal TFNA size and structures, TFNA endocytosis, proliferation, and migration were tested in adipose stem cells (ASCs). We found that the internalization of differently sized TFNAs in ASCs was remarkably different. Although all TFNAs could enter ASCs, T21 had the best membrane-penetrating ability. After exposure of ASCs to TFNAs of different sizes, the proliferation and migration of cells were enhanced, especially with T21. Importantly, T21 could access the brain and accumulate over time. This study improves our understanding of the influence of TFNA size on the biological behavior of ASCs, which will help in choosing optimal TFNA size for biomedical applications.

Excited-State Lifetimes of DNA-Templated Cyanine Dimer, Trimer, and Tetramer Aggregates: The Role of Exciton Delocalization, Dye Separation, and DNA Heterogeneity

DNA-templated molecular (dye) aggregates are a novel class of materials that have garnered attention in a broad range of areas including light harvesting, sensing, and computing. Using DNA to template dye aggregation is attractive due to the relative ease with which DNA nanostructures can be assembled in solution, the diverse array of nanostructures that can be assembled, and the ability to precisely position dyes to within a few Angstroms of one another. These factors, combined with the programmability of DNA, raise the prospect of designer materials custom tailored for specific applications. Although considerable progress has been made in characterizing the optical properties and associated electronic structures of these materials, less is known about their excited-state dynamics. For example, little is known about how the excited-state lifetime, a parameter essential to many applications, is influenced by structural factors, such as the number of dyes within the aggregate and their spatial arrangement. In this work, we use a combination of transient absorption spectroscopy and global target analysis to measure excited-state lifetimes in a series of DNA-templated cyanine dye aggregates. Specifically, we investigate six distinct dimer, trimer, and tetramer aggregates—based on the ubiquitous cyanine dye Cy5—templated using both duplex and Holliday junction DNA nanostructures. We find that these DNA-templated Cy5 aggregates all exhibit significantly reduced excited-state lifetimes, some by more than 2 orders of magnitude, and observe considerable variation among the lifetimes. We attribute the reduced excited-state lifetimes to enhanced nonradiative decay and proceed to discuss various structural factors, including exciton delocalization, dye separation, and DNA heterogeneity, that may contribute to the observed reduction and variability of excited-state lifetimes. Guided by insights from structural modeling, we find that the reduced lifetimes and enhanced nonradiative decay are most strongly correlated with the distance between the dyes. These results inform potential tradeoffs between dye separation, excitonic coupling strength, and excited-state lifetime that motivate deeper mechanistic understanding, potentially via further dye and dye template design.

Design of Abiological Digital Poly(phosphodiester)s

In biological systems, the storage and transfer of genetic information rely on sequence-controlled nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. It has been realized for quite some time that this property is not only crucial for life but could also be very useful in human applications. For instance, DNA has been actively investigated as a digital storage medium over the past decade. Indeed, the "hard-disk of life" is an obvious choice and a highly optimized material for storing data. Through decades of nucleic acids research, technological tools for parallel synthesis and sequencing of DNA have been readily available. Consequently, it has already been demonstrated that different types of documents (e.g., texts, images, videos, and industrial data) can be stored in chemically synthesized DNA libraries. However, DNA is subject to biological constraints, and its molecular structure cannot be easily varied to match technological needs. In fact, DNA is not the only macromolecule that enables data storage. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that a wide variety of synthetic polymers can also be used for such a purpose. Indeed, modern polymer synthesis allows the preparation of synthetic macromolecules with precisely controlled monomer sequences. Altogether, about a dozens of synthetic digital polymers have already been described, and many more can be foreseen. Among them, sequence-defined poly(phosphodiester)s are one of the most promising options. These polymers are prepared by stepwise phosphoramidite chemistry like chemically synthesized oligonucleotides. However, they are constructed with non-natural building blocks and therefore share almost no structural characteristics with nucleic acids, except phosphate repeat units. Still, they contain readable digital messages that can be deciphered by nanopore sequencing or mass spectrometry sequencing. In this Account, we describe our recent research efforts in synthesizing and sequencing optimal abiological digital poly(phosphodiester)s. A major advantage of these polymers over DNA is that their molecular structure can easily be varied to tune their properties. During the last 5 years, we have engineered the molecular structure of these polymers to adjust crucial parameters such as the storage density, storage capacity, erasability, and readability. Consequently, high-capacity PPDE chains, containing hundreds of bits per chains, can now be synthesized and efficiently sequenced using a routine mass spectrometer. Furthermore, sequencing data can be automatically decrypted with the help of decoding software. This new type of coded matter can also be edited using practical physical triggers such as light and organized in space by programmed self-assembly. All of these recent improvements are summarized and discussed herein.

Rotaxane rings promote oblique packing and extended lifetimes in DNA-templated molecular dye aggregates

Molecular excitons play a central role in natural and artificial light harvesting, organic electrònics, and nanoscale computing. The structure and dynamics of molecular excitons, critical to each application, are sensitively governed by molecular packing. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) templating is a powerful approach that enables controlled aggregation via sub-nanometer positioning of molecular dyes. However, finer sub-Angstrom control of dye packing is needed to tailor excitonic properties for specific applications. Here, we show that adding rotaxane rings to squaraine dyes templated with DNA promotes an elusive oblique packing arrangement with highly desirable optical properties. Specifically, dimers of these squaraine:rotaxanes exhibit an absorption spectrum with near-equal intensity excitonically split absorption bands. Theoretical analysis indicates that the transitions are mostly electronic in nature and only have similar intensities over a narrow range of packing angles. Compared with squaraine dimers, squaraine:rotaxane dimers also exhibit extended excited-state lifetimes and less structural heterogeneity. The approach proposed here may be generally useful for optimizing excitonic materials for a variety of applications ranging from solar energy conversion to quantum information science.

DNA-strand molecular beacon optical processor

Due to the characteristics of the newly developed DNA computing, many researchers are interested in this specialty. One advantage of DNA " Deoxyribonucleic acid" is that it has ability to resolve a Boolean circuit with various types of gates at the same time in a single level. Most of the prior models suffered from the limitations that each level of the circuit requests the gates to be of some kind. The model proposed in this work increases parallelism and reduces human intervention to a tremendous extent. When level-wise simulation is executed, the simulation for each model shows the decrease in the number of nitrogen bases used, which leads to the processing of the largest number of data with the ability to increase the length of a word, in addition to the adoption of the parallel principle of implementation. The model is designed on a mechanism which includes adder and multiplier.

The construction of DNAzyme-based logic gates for amplified microRNA detection and cancer recognition

A series of duplex-specific nuclease-based DNAzyme logic gates was established for detecting multiple low-abundance microRNAs.

The study of the paranemic crossover (PX) motif in the context of self-assembly of DNA 2D crystals

This manuscript systematically studies the self-assembly behavior of the paranemic crossover (PX) motif in the context of DNA 2D crystallization. The PX structure is a class of DNA nanomotifs that has been suggested as a model for DNA homologous recognition in cells and, more importantly, used as a cohesion mechanism/building block (tile) for DNA nanoconstruction. However, there is no vigorous examination on the relationship between structural variation and assembly behavior. The lack of this essential information prevents us from applying the PX motif to complex nanoconstruction. In this study, we have devised a system that allows us to systematically examine this relationship and found the best PX motif that best suits the assembly of 2D crystals.

Excitonics: A Set of Gates for Molecular Exciton Processing and Signaling

Regulating energy transfer pathways through materials is a central goal of nanotechnology, as a greater degree of control is crucial for developing sensing, spectroscopy, microscopy, and computing applications. Such control necessitates a toolbox of actuation methods that can direct energy transfer based on user input. Here we introduce a proposal for a molecular exciton gate, analogous to a traditional transistor, for regulating exciton flow in chromophoric systems. The gate may be activated with an input of light or an input flow of excitons. Our proposal relies on excitation migration via the second excited singlet (S₂) state of the gate molecule. It exhibits the following features, only a subset of which are present in previous exciton switching schemes: picosecond time scale actuation, amplification/gain behavior, and a lack of molecular rearrangement. We demonstrate that the device can be used to produce universal binary logic or amplification of an exciton current, providing an excitonic platform with several potential uses, including signal processing for microscopy and spectroscopy methods that implement tunable exciton flux.

Synthesis of comb-shaped DNA using a non-nucleosidic branching phosphoramidite

Branched DNAs (bDNAs) having comb-like structures have found wide utility in molecular diagnostics and DNA nanotechnology. bDNAs can be generated either by designing and assembling linear DNA molecules into rigid non-covalent structures or by using an orthogonally protected branching unit to synthesize covalently linked structures. Despite the advantages of the covalently linked structures, use of this motif has been hampered by the challenging synthesis of appropriately protected branching monomers. We report the facile synthesis of a branching monomer having orthogonal DMT and Lev protecting groups using readily available δ-velarolactone and 1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol. Using this branching monomer, a comb-shaped bDNA was synthesized having three different DNA arms. The synthesis and hybridization capability of the bDNA was assessed by fluorescence microscopy using fluorescently labeled complementary and mismatched DNA probes. Convenient access to an orthogonally protected branching monomer is anticipated to accelerate applications of bDNAs in applications including diagnostics, biosensing, gene-profiling, DNA computing, multicolor imaging, and nanotechnology.

Systematic Study in Mammalian Cells Showing No Adverse Response to Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructure

The advent of DNA technology has demonstrated great potential in a wide range of applications, especially in the field of biology and biomedicine. However, current understanding of the toxicological effects and cellular responses of DNA nanostructures remains to be improved. Here, we chose tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs), a type of nanocarriers for delivering molecular drugs, as a model for systematic live-cell analysis of the biocompatibility of TDNs to normal bronchial epithelial cells, carcinoma cells, and macrophage. We found that the interaction behaviors of TDNs in different cell lines were very different, whereas after internalization, most of the TDNs in diverse cell lines were positioned to lysosomes. By a systematic assessment of cell responses after TDN exposure to various cells, we demonstrate that internalized TDNs have good innate biocompatibility. Interestingly, we found that TDN-bearing cells would not affect the cell cycle progression and accompany cell division and that TDNs were separated equally into two daughter cells. This study improves our understanding of the interaction of DNA nanostructures with living systems and their biocompatibility, which will be helpful for further designing DNA nanostructures for biomedical applications.

Boolean Logic Tree of Label-Free Dual-Signal Electrochemical Aptasensor System for Biosensing, Three-State Logic Computation, and Keypad Lock Security Operation

The most serious and yet unsolved problems of molecular logic computing consist in how to connect molecular events in complex systems into a usable device with specific functions and how to selectively control branchy logic processes from the cascading logic systems. This report demonstrates that a Boolean logic tree is utilized to organize and connect "plug and play" chemical events DNA, nanomaterials, organic dye, biomolecule, and denaturant for developing the dual-signal electrochemical evolution aptasensor system with good resettability for amplification detection of thrombin, controllable and selectable three-state logic computation, and keypad lock security operation. The aptasensor system combines the merits of DNA-functionalized nanoamplification architecture and simple dual-signal electroactive dye brilliant cresyl blue for sensitive and selective detection of thrombin with a wide linear response range of 0.02-100 nM and a detection limit of 1.92 pM. By using these aforementioned chemical events as inputs and the differential pulse voltammetry current changes at different voltages as dual outputs, a resettable three-input biomolecular keypad lock based on sequential logic is established. Moreover, the first example of controllable and selectable three-state molecular logic computation with active-high and active-low logic functions can be implemented and allows the output ports to assume a high impediment or nothing (Z) state in addition to the 0 and 1 logic levels, effectively controlling subsequent branchy logic computation processes. Our approach is helpful in developing the advanced controllable and selectable logic computing and sensing system in large-scale integration circuits for application in biomedical engineering, intelligent sensing, and control.

An Optically Modulated Self-Assembled Resonance Energy Transfer Pass Gate

We demonstrate an optically controlled molecular-scale pass gate that uses the photoinduced dark states of fluorescent molecules to modulate the flow of excitons. The device consists of four fluorophores spatially arranged on a self-assembled DNA nanostructure. Together, they form a resonance energy transfer (RET) network resembling a standard transistor with a source, channel, drain, and gate. When the gate fluorophore is directly excited, the device is toggled on. Excitons flow freely from the source to the drain, producing strong output fluorescence. Without this excitation, exciton flow through the device is hindered by absorbing paths along the way, resulting in weak output fluorescence. In this Letter, we describe the design and fabrication of the pass gate. We perform a steady-state analysis revealing that the on/off fluorescence ratio for this particular implementation is ∼8.7. To demonstrate dynamic modulation of the pass gate, we toggle the gate excitation on and off and measure the corresponding change in output fluorescence. We characterize the rise and fall times of these transitions, showing that they are faster and/or more easily achieved than other methods of RET network modulation. The pass gate is the first dynamic RET-based logic gate exclusively modulated by dark states and serves as a proof-of-concept device for building more complex RET systems in the future.

Engineering chemical reaction modules via programming the assembly of DNA hairpins

The architect of enzyme-free chemical reaction modules, working as building blocks in implementing complex computing tasks, was achieved by modulating the assembly of DNA hairpins, including non-catalytic and catalytic systems. The performance of heterogeneous outputted sequences, which were programmed on different hairpins for triggering the downstream reaction, was asymmetric in the non-catalytic system, whereas symmetric in the catalytic system. Furthermore, complicated DNA-only chemical modules possessing controllable species of inputs or outputs were constructed based on our strategy. The kinetic studies revealed that the performance of the chemical modules was toehold length correlated; on the basis of which, a DNA concentration monitor was constructed.

A DNA kinetics competition strategy of hybridization chain reaction for molecular information processing circuit construction

A DNA kinetics competition strategy of HCR for recognizing input combinations and input sequences has been proposed.

Fluorescent taggants with temporally coded signatures

In this paper, resonance energy transfer (RET) networks between chromophores are used to implement fluorescent taggants with temporally coded signatures. Because the temporal signature of such a fluorescent taggant is a phase-type distribution defined by the geometry of its RET network, the taggant design is not constrained by resolvable dyes and has a significantly larger coding capacity than spectrally or lifetime coded fluorescent taggants. Meanwhile, the detection process becomes highly efficient when the signatures are coded in the time domain. The taggant identification method is based on the multinomial distribution of detected photons and Maximum Likelihood Estimation, which guarantees high accuracy even with only a few hundred photons and also applies to a mixture of taggants in multiplex detection. Therefore, these temporally coded fluorescent taggants have great potential for both in situ and Lidar applications.

Target-triggered cascade recycling amplification for label-free detection of microRNA and molecular logic operations

A cascade recycling amplification (CRA) that implements cascade logic circuits with feedback amplification function is developed for label-free chemiluminescence detection of microRNA-122 with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 0.82 fM and excellent specificity, which is applied to construct a series of molecular-scale two-input logic gates by using microRNAs as inputs and CRA products as outputs.

Rational Control of Folding Cooperativity in DNA Quadruplexes

Availability of basic tools for engineering molecular systems with precisely defined properties is crucial toward progress in development of new responsive materials. Among such materials are systems capable of generating an ultrasensitive response (i.e., large relative changes in output in response to small changes in input). Herein, we focus on a rational design of DNA quadruplex based structures as ultrasensitive response elements. In particular, we demonstrate how addition of allosteric guiding elements can be engineered into H(+)-responsive i-motif structure to yield maximized response sensitivity.

Excitonic AND Logic Gates on DNA Brick Nanobreadboards

A promising application of DNA self-assembly is the fabrication of chromophore-based excitonic devices. DNA brick assembly is a compelling method for creating programmable nanobreadboards on which chromophores may be rapidly and easily repositioned to prototype new excitonic devices, optimize device operation, and induce reversible switching. Using DNA nanobreadboards, we have demonstrated each of these functions through the construction and operation of two different excitonic AND logic gates. The modularity and high chromophore density achievable via this brick-based approach provide a viable path toward developing information processing and storage systems.

Enzyme-driven i-motif DNA folding for logic operations and fluorescent biosensing

“NOR” and “NAND” logical gates were fabricated using enzymatic reactions to generate a pH gradient to drive i-motif folding, and with such logical gates fluorescent biosensors were developed.