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DNA Makes Lifeless Materials Shapeshift (sciencemag.org)

Posted by yaelk on from the shapeshifters dept.

sciencehabit writes: Researchers have engineered tiny gold particles that can assemble into a variety of crystalline structures simply by adding a bit of DNA to the solution that surrounds them. Down the road, such reprogrammable particles could be used to make materials that reshape themselves in response to light, or to create novel catalysts that reshape themselves as reactions proceed.

12 of 26 comments (clear)

  1. Democrats will use this for evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    That's what they do. What they do.

    1. Re:Democrats will use this for evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Wow, what a good post. Please mod parent up

    2. Re:Democrats will use this for evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "Athiesm"

      Gesundheit! That *was* a sneeze, yes?

  2. I, for one, by Culture20 · · Score: 1

    I, for one, welcome our new technorganic Phalanx overlords and look forward to joining the glorious union of the Babel Spire.

  3. Battlezone by pcjunky · · Score: 1

    Great shades of bio-metal.

  4. Odo by rossdee · · Score: 1

    So how is Rene Auberjenois doing these days

  5. dotr by Hylandr · · Score: 1

    Dawn of the Replicants!

    --
    ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  6. hey, this may pan out to something interesting by swell · · Score: 3

    Goddammit this is important shit. Fundamental research can sometimes be even more important than an update to your linux software or the Kardashian news of the day. ...Or not...

    --
    ...omphaloskepsis often...
    1. Re:hey, this may pan out to something interesting by Lennie · · Score: 1

      Lots of people may say: Apple is so cool they invented the iPhone, bla, bla.

      But the iPhone wouldn't have happened without the fundamental research which was paid for by the government.

      I know companies call their department sometimes research & development, but sometimes you'd think it's just development.

      --
      New things are always on the horizon
  7. DNA is not eternal by ITRambo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What happens to the shapes when the DNA disintegrates? I presume that real organic DNA is being used here and that its removal leads to a return to chaos for the gold particles.

    1. Re:DNA is not eternal by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      A reshaping catalyst wouldn't need to last longer than the length of the reaction anyhow. Although depending on how fancy they can be maybe you could intentionally build something that still functions after the scaffolding 'rots' off.

  8. PROGRAMMABLE PARTICALS? by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

    TRANSFORMERS SOON