Microscopic DNA flowers can deliver the drug exactly where it’s needed

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have created soft, microscopic flower-shaped robots that can change their shape and behavior in response to their surroundings, just as living organisms do. These tiny “DNA flowers” are made of special crystals formed by combining DNA and inorganic materials. It can be folded and unfolded reversibly in seconds, making it among the most dynamic materials ever developed on such a small scale.

The work was published in Nature nanotechnology.

Each flower’s DNA acts like a small computer program, telling it how to move and interact with the world around it. When the environment changes, such as when the acidity rises or falls, the flower can open or close or trigger a chemical reaction. This means that these DNA-based robots could one day perform tasks themselves, from delivering medicines to cleaning up pollution.

“People would love to have smart capsules that automatically activate the drug when it detects disease and turns off when it is cured,” said Dr. Ronit Freeman, lead author of the paper and director of the Freeman Lab at UNC. “In principle, this could be possible with our shape-shifting materials.”

“In the future, shape-shifting flowers could be designed that can be swallowed or grown to deliver a targeted dose of drugs, perform a biopsy, or remove a blood clot.”

The idea is inspired by natural processes such as the unfolding of flower petals, the pulsation of coral, and the formation of tissue in living organisms. The researchers wanted to mimic these complex behaviors in synthetic materials, a challenge that has long puzzled scientists working on microscopic scales.

“We take inspiration from nature’s designs, such as blooming flowers or growing tissues, and translate them into technology that can one day think, move and adapt on its own,” Freeman said.

The key to their success is how the DNA is arranged within the flower-shaped crystals. As the surrounding environment becomes more acidic, parts of the DNA fold tightly, causing the flower to close.

When conditions return to normal, the DNA decomposes, and the petals open again. This simple but powerful movement can be used to control chemical reactions, carry and release molecules, or interact with cells and tissues.

Although this technology is still in the early testing phase, the team envisions exciting future uses. One day, these DNA flowers could be injected into the body, where they will metastasize to a tumor.

Once there, the acidity of the tumor can cause the petals to close, releasing the drug or taking a small tissue sample. When the tumor disappears, the flowers open and stop working, ready to respond again if the disease returns.

Beyond medicine, these smart materials could be used to clean up environmental disasters, releasing cleaning agents into contaminated water, then dissolving harmlessly when the job is done. It can even store huge amounts of digital information, up to two trillion gigabytes in just a teaspoon, providing a greener and more efficient way to store, read and write data in the future.

This achievement represents a major step towards materials that can sense and respond to their environment, bridging the gap between living systems and machines.