Superconductive Nanowires Inspired by DNA Assembly

Innovation: Academia

Bar-Ilan University

2021

Image: Pixy / Public Domain - No restrictions

Modify Conductivity

Living organisms are about two-thirds water. Modifying the concentration of dissolved ions in water inside or outside cells, or embedding large non-polar molecules with cellular lipid membranes, alters electrical conductivity (i.e., the movement of electrons). Given that chemical reactions depend on the movement of electrons within and between molecules, modifying electrical conductivity can modify the level of chemical activity. For example, Geobacter sulfurreducens bacteria produce electron-conducing protein nanowires in order to successfully complete metabolically important oxidation/reduction reactions.

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Optimize Shape/Materials

Resources are limited and the simple act of retaining them requires resources, especially energy. Living systems must constantly balance the value of resources obtained with the costs of resources expended; failure to do so can result in death or prevent reproduction. Living systems therefore optimize, rather than maximize, resource use. Optimizing shape ultimately optimizes materials and energy. An example of such optimization can be seen in the dolphin’s body shape. It’s streamlined to reduce drag in the water due to an optimal ratio of length to diameter, as well as features on its surface that lie flat, reducing turbulence.

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Nanowires from Bar-Ilan University are made using DNA origami coated in a superconducting material.

Benefits

Increased conductivity
Decreased resistance

Applications

Nanoelectronics
Electronic devices

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure

The Challenge

Superconductive materials are able to handle an electric current flow indefinitely with no power source. They are great for small-scale electronics applications where space and energy are limited. Many researchers are turning to molecular building blocks such as DNA to create conductive wires of unprecedentedly small shapes and sizes, known as DNA origami. Although DNA can self-assemble into a variety of nano-sized structures, using it for superconductive wires has proved challenging. This is because nano-sized superconducting wires tend to produce quantum fluctuations that create resistance and destroy the superconducting state.

Innovation Details

Previous techniques have used DNA origami to create self-assembling nanostructures. They are made of a circular DNA strand that serves as the scaffold, and short, complementary DNA strands that act as ‘staples’ to make the shape of the structure. Researchers were able to convert these nanostructures into superconducting nanowires that are approximately 220 nanometers long and 15 nanometers in diameter. By coating them with superconducting niobium nitride, they were able to reduce the quantum fluctuations and resistance by up to 90%.

See Related Innovation

Innovation: Academia

Meta-DNA Origami Inspired by DNA Assembly

Arizona State University

M-DNA origami from Arizona State University are micrometer-sized DNA structures created from smaller self-assembling DNA nanostructures.

Biological Model

DNA assembles using specific hydrogen bonding patterns known as “Watson-Crick” base pairing. This pairing dictate the iconic double structure in which DNA stores genetic information.

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