Twirling DNA Rings - Swimming Nanomotors Ready for a Kickstart

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rotary DNA nanomachine capable of continuous, high-frequency rotation driven by temperature changes, enabling it to propel itself through fluid with micrometer per second speeds.

Contribution

It presents a novel DNA-based nanomotor with tunable elasticity that achieves self-propulsion through external thermal actuation.

Findings

Rotary DNA nanomachine operates at 10^2 - 10^4 Hz.

The nanomotor propels itself at microns per second.

External temperature control drives continuous rotation.

Abstract

We propose a rotary DNA nanomachine that shows a continuous rotation with a frequency of 10^2 -10^4 Hz. This motor consists of a DNA ring whose elastic features are tuned such that it can be externally driven via a periodic temperature change. As a result the ring propels itself through the fluid with a speed up to microns per second.