An active DNA liquid

We seek to create self-assembled biomolecular liquid droplets that act as rough mimics of biological condensates, and to engineer mesoscopic structure and active functions into the droplets through molecular design. We form liquids from DNA nanostars, multi-armed DNA particles that condense through base-pairing interactions, forming liquids due to the nanostars’ internal flexibility and relatively weak bonding. These liquids show certain materials properties similar to biological condensates, while also displaying unique properties arising from their limited valence and semi-rigid, double-stranded arms. I will discuss methods we are pursuing to drive nanostar liquid droplets out of equilibrium through designed interactions with proteins and other nucleic acids.