Engineering active matter at the nanoscale with DNA nanotechnology

Self-generated movement in response to internal or environmental events is a key characteristic of living organisms that distinguishes them from non-living things. Progress in bio and nanotechnology has enabled the creation of active particles that can convert energy into motion¹. Catalytic self-propelled motors are of fundamental interest in statistical biophysics and are also highly necessary in the context of artificial cellular systems.Although much research has been done on micron-sized motors, progress in catalytic nanomotors of sub-100 nm is still in its infancy².

This talk will present recent work in the synthesis, propulsion mechanism and measurement techniques of self-propelled particles³. The chemical synthesis of nanomotors and new electrochemical characterisation tools to assess their motor behaviour will be presented⁴. Finally, I will demonstrate the coupling of enzymatic nanomotors to propel larger structures mediated by DNA hybridization.

1 Bechinger, C.et al.. Reviews of Modern Physics 88, 045006 (2016).
2 Santiago, I. Nano Today 19, 11-15, (2018).
3 Santiago, I., Jiang, L., Foord, J. & Turberfield, A. J. Chemical Communications 54, 1901-1904 (2018).
4 Jiang, L., Santiago, I. & Foord, J. Chemical Communications 53, 8332-8335, (2017).