title: High-speed DNA-based rolling motors powered by RNase H.
abstract: DNA-based machines that walk by converting chemical energy into controlled motion could be of use in applications such as next-generation sensors, drug-delivery platforms and biological computing. Despite their exquisite programmability, DNA-based walkers are challenging to work with because of their low fidelity and slow rates (∼1 nm min(-1)). Here we report DNA-based machines that roll rather than walk, and consequently have a maximum speed and processivity that is three orders of magnitude greater than the maximum for conventional DNA motors. The motors are made from DNA-coated spherical particles that hybridize to a surface modified with complementary RNA; the motion is achieved through the addition of RNase H, which selectively hydrolyses the hybridized RNA. The spherical motors can move in a self-avoiding manner, and anisotropic particles, such as dimerized or rod-shaped particles, can travel linearly without a track or external force. We also show that the motors can be used to detect single nucleotide polymorphism by measuring particle displacement using a smartphone camera.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yehl
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Emory University, 400 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.|Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mugler
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Emory University, 400 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Skanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vivek
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Mengzhen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Emory University, 400 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1503-3633
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salaita
mesh_terms: D039301:Computers, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D004247:DNA; D016914:Ribonuclease H