Modular Design of Programmable Mechanofluorescent DNA Hydrogels.
Rémi MérindolGiovanne DelechiaveLaura HeinenLuiz Henrique CatalaniAndreas WaltherPublished in: Nature communications (2019)
Mechanosensing systems are ubiquitous in nature and control many functions from cell spreading to wound healing. Biologic systems typically rely on supramolecular transformations and secondary reporter systems to sense weak forces. By contrast, synthetic mechanosensitive materials often use covalent transformations of chromophores, serving both as force sensor and reporter, which hinders orthogonal engineering of their sensitivity, response and modularity. Here, we introduce FRET-based, rationally tunable DNA tension probes into macroscopic 3D all-DNA hydrogels to prepare mechanofluorescent materials with programmable sacrificial bonds and stress relaxation. This design addresses current limitations of mechanochromic system by offering spatiotemporal resolution, as well as quantitative and modular force sensing in soft hydrogels. The programmable force probe design further grants temporal control over the recovery of the mechanofluorescence during stress relaxation, enabling reversible and irreversible strain sensing. We show proof-of-concept applications to study strain fields in composites and to visualize freezing-induced strain patterns in homogeneous hydrogels.
Keyphrases
- single molecule
- wound healing
- living cells
- drug delivery
- hyaluronic acid
- drug release
- extracellular matrix
- tissue engineering
- crispr cas
- rheumatoid arthritis
- magnetic resonance
- single cell
- circulating tumor
- quantum dots
- high resolution
- cell therapy
- high glucose
- computed tomography
- small molecule
- drug induced
- bone marrow
- mesenchymal stem cells
- contrast enhanced