A new responsive material ‘glued’ together with short
strands of DNA, and capable of translating thermal and chemical signals into
visible physical changes, could underpin a new class of biosensors or drug
delivery systems.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed
a new self-assembled material, which, by changing its shape, can amplify small
variations in temperature and concentration of biomolecules, making them easier
to detect. The material, which consists of synthetic spheres ‘glued’ together
with short strands of DNA, could be used to underpin a new class of biosensors,
or form the basis for new drug delivery systems.