Work

Building RNA Concentration Fields

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Biomolecular reactions produce concentration fields that serve as maps to pattern fly compound eyes, weave nerves into brain circuitry, and organize microbial communities. Creating such fields in vitro across diverse scales could enable breakthroughs in fields from materials science to tissue engineering. Here, we present a strategy to form stable, intricately structured fields of an RNA sequence. RNA is transcribed in hydrogel "generators" and degraded in bulk, producing a sustained concentration gradient with a well-defined shape. The concentrations of fields produced by generators sum so that composite fields with complex patterns, e.g., hills and valleys, can be created by prescribing generator positions. Using an empirical model, we automatically design a desired field by optimizing generator placements. This versatile approach supports multi-hour stability and is readily extensible to 3D or to fields of multiple sequences. RNA concentration fields provide a new means to pattern materials, direct self-assembly, and orchestrate cell organization.

Source: Matter

DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102208

Authors: Dong Woo Kim, Moshe Rubanov, Alison Grinthal, Pepijn Moerman, Rebecca Schulman

Institution: Johns Hopkins University

Language: English

Topic: RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research, Basic Energy Sciences

Awards: G3535732435, PROGRAMMABLE DYNAMIC SELF-ASSEMBLY OF DNA NANOSTRUCTURES, G8221083905, G8876996369