Biomolecular Switch Circuits for Molecular Robots using a DNA Strand Displacement Mechanism

Advances in nanoscale bioengineering have recently been focusing on molecular robots established by combining biomolecular devices. In this study, we aimed to create a DNA switch circuit to alter the states of a molecular robot. The primary goal was to activate the actuator for a fixed period. The merit of the design detailed in this study was the sole use of strand displacement reactions under mild environmental conditions, contributing to practical use within the molecular robot. Although undesirable reactions often occur due to the nature of the switch circuit, mismatched base pairs were used to try to avoid this. The correct behavior of the switch circuit has been proven by both the simulation and experiment.