Towards Self-Restoring Electronic Devices with Long DNA Molecules
Published:02 Nov.2021 Source:Tokyo Institute of Technology
In every advanced organism, the molecule called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, to use its full name) forms the genetic code. Modern-day technology takes DNA one step beyond living matter; scientists have established that the intricate structures of DNA have made it possible for it to be used in new-age electronic devices with junctions comprising just a single DNA molecule. However, as with any ambitious endeavor, there are impediments to overcome. It turns out that the single-molecule conductance falls off sharply with the length of the molecule so that only extremely short stretches of DNA are useful for electrical measurements. Is there a way around this problem?
There is, indeed, suggest researchers from Japan in a new breakthrough study. They have managed to achieve an unconventionally high conductivity with a long DNA molecule-based junction in a "zipper" configuration that also shows a remarkable self-restoring ability under electrical failure. These results have been published as a research article in Nature Communications.