{
  "abstract": "In cells, cytoskeletal filaments such as microtubules are dissipative polymers that switch stochastically between growth and rapid collapse, a behaviour known as dynamic instability. This switching is coupled to nucleotide hydrolysis, so a filament's fate depends on the chemical state of its subunits and the free-monomer pool. Previously reported synthetic assemblies can be cycled between assembled and disassembled states, but the switch is typically set by the global fuel level rather than by a state stored within each monomer. Here we demonstrate a DNA/RNA hybrid polymer in which every monomer holds a one-bit internal state, assembly-competent or inactivated, flipped irreversibly by cleavage of an internal RNA linkage. The bit is written by two routes sharing the same transesterification chemistry: a slow spontaneous cleavage giving each monomer an intrinsic lifetime, and a fast, site-specific write by a programmable DNAzyme. Because inactivation is irreversible, sustained cycling requires continuous regeneration of active monomer, holding the system in a non-equilibrium steady state in which filaments undergo repeated depolymerization and rescue at frequencies near 0.2 (min)-1. We also find that the filaments form meshes auto-catalytically. Because each crosslink recruits filaments from the pool, crosslinking accelerates autocatalytically, driving a percolation transition to a system-spanning network that continuously remodels as its filaments turn over. Thus the timing of switching can be stored within individual monomers rather than imposed as a global threshold -providing a route to autonomously remodelling active materials.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Y. Biniuri"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Bespalova"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. I. H. Bastiaens"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9s9jkk96z4y97.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.07.06.736608",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736608v2.full",
  "id": "9s9jkk96z4y97",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736608v2",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "biophysics"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7167913018",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736608v2.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-06",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9s9jkk96z4y97.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:19Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.07.06.736608",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736608v3"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Emergent Dynamic Instability in Micrometer-scale Synthetic Active-matter Polymers",
  "title_text": "Emergent Dynamic Instability in Micrometer-scale Synthetic Active-matter Polymers",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:13Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9s9jkk96z4y97",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}