Mechanoresponsive DNA hydrogels via rolling circle amplification and Layer-by-Layer assembly

Abstract

In the past few years, mechanoresposive materials emerged as an important class of biomaterials, which mimics biological features, for example, response to cell adhesion. Among these materials, there are biocompatible soft hydrogels, with weak forces sensing and tunable design based in polymers, growing as interest field. Because of the great level of control over supramolecular structural, the project chose the DNA for the design of mechanosensing model mechanisms in soft hydrogels. In the case of success, it would be the first macroscale DNA based mechanosensing device.The assembly of the hydrogels will be through hybridation of DNA by Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique (spin-coating or drop-casting), wherein the sequence was designed based in structures features of mechanosensory transduction, that occurs similar in both vertebrates and invertebrates. This system will be coupled with fluorescence probe and quencher to monitor the mechanical response property, due to the mechanism of energy transference between these two light-sensitive molecules (Förster resonance energy transfer or simply FRET). The hydrogels will be built over rigid silicon wafers and stretchable PDMS supports. The characteristic of mechanosensing will be monitored through stretching the PDMS film in water, follow by measurements of fluorescence in situ. First, with the effectiveness of the system more simple, it will be possible to go forward for the development of more complexes structures based in the same principle. (AU)