Researchers have developed a DNA-based switch that can rapidly snap between two stable states, much like the components of everyday electronics.
The device borrows a principle from engineering known as a snap-through mechanism, which only flips when pushed hard enough, a bit like a light switch.
As a nanoscale electromechanical interface, the device enables applications in molecular information processing and the control of chemical reactions.
Obstacles remain before the device can become useful. Wiring arrays of switches together to create something resembling a circuit remains a distant prospect.
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