title: Programming the dynamics of biochemical reaction networks.
abstract: The development of complex self-organizing molecular systems for future nanotechnology requires not only robust formation of molecular structures by self-assembly but also precise control over their temporal dynamics. As an exquisite example of such control, in this issue of ACS Nano, Fujii and Rondelez demonstrate a particularly compact realization of a molecular "predator-prey" ecosystem consisting of only three DNA species and three enzymes. The system displays pronounced oscillatory dynamics, in good agreement with the predictions of a simple theoretical model. Moreover, its considerable modularity also allows for ecological studies of competition and cooperation within molecular networks.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department and ZNN/WSI, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany. simmel@tum.de
authors.forename: Friedrich C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Simmel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D017753:Ecosystem; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers