Weizmann Institute Researchers Develop Programmable Artificial Active Materials
Weizmann Institute scientists have developed two artificial active materials governed by genetic code and DNA networks, paving the way for soft robotics and targeted therapies.
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed two new types of artificial active materials, marking a significant milestone in materials science and biophysics. Published in the scientific journals Nature Materials and Nature Physics, these breakthroughs pave the way for the development of soft robotics, targeted medical treatments, and programmable smart materials.
Active materials are systems whose components function as microscopic motors, consuming chemical energy and converting it into mechanical work. While classical physical properties are dictated by external conditions such as temperature and pressure, active materials shape their own characteristics by burning chemical fuel. Until now, controlling these materials was limited to altering their initial composition. However, Dr. Alexandra Tayar and her research team at the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics have integrated gene expression systems into these materials, granting them a synthetic genetic program.
In the study published in Nature Materials, led by doctoral student Rochelle Silverman and staff scientist Dr. Erez Garbib, researchers incorporated DNA and a gene expression network into a microtubule network. By varying the concentration of the gene, the team successfully controlled the timing, speed, and mechanical transitions of the material. Furthermore, by introducing a bridging protein that acts like Velcro, the material was programmed to perform short bursts of movement followed by braking. A theoretical model developed in collaboration with Dr. Hallel Aharoni helped explain how genetic expression translates into material structure.
In a parallel study published in Nature Physics, led by doctoral students Maya Lebanon and Noa Goldberg, researchers investigated how long DNA chains organize movement within active materials. When DNA segments were introduced into the flowing active material, they entangled into a three-dimensional network that generated rhythmic oscillations. The researchers discovered that these oscillations result from the delayed response of the DNA network, which stretches as the material flows before snapping back and reversing the direction. In collaboration with Prof. Eran Bouchbinder and the Technion researchers, a theoretical model revealed that the oscillation size depends strictly on the container boundaries, while speed is dictated by molecular motor concentration.
These findings offer materials engineers and drug developers a versatile toolbox of mechanical and genetic mechanisms. The integration of these systems could soon enable the creation of soft robots that adapt their shape dynamically and advanced medical treatments capable of navigating complex biological environments with high precision.
