Biomimetic remodelling of lipid membranes using DNA nanostructures
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, United Kingdom, CB3 0AS
Abstract
The remodelling of biological membranes underpins a diverse range of sophisticated cellular processes, from cell crawling to mitosis to pathogen infection cycles. A refined understanding of the biophysical principles governing lipid bilayer remodelling is necessary to engineer ever-more advanced behaviours in microrobots, like synthetic cells, with disruptive applications in both fundamental biology and advanced biotechnology. Owing to its ability to afford control over structural and functional properties at the nano-scale, DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a prime toolkit to engineer, program, and host biomimetic responses within lipid bilayer membranes. This Perspective review surveys advances on biomimetic membrane remodelling pathways coordinated by DNA nanostructures. I discuss strategies to prescribe the interactions of DNA nanostructures with lipid bilayers, and summarise progress to drive membrane remodelling events including lateral patterning, out-of-plane restructuring, fusion, and scission. Finally, I discuss current challenges alongside the yet untapped potential of nucleic acid nanostructures in membrane bioengineering to coordinate sophisticated behaviours in synthetic cells.
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BibTeX
@misc{sanchez2026biomimetic,
title = {{Biomimetic remodelling of lipid membranes using DNA nanostructures}},
author = {Roger Rubio Sánchez},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009718/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009718/v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Biomimetic remodelling of lipid membranes using DNA nanostructures
AU - Roger Rubio Sánchez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009718/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009718/v1
AB - The remodelling of biological membranes underpins a diverse range of sophisticated cellular processes, from cell crawling to mitosis to pathogen infection cycles. A refined understanding of the biophysical principles governing lipid bilayer remodelling is necessary to engineer ever-more advanced behaviours in microrobots, like synthetic cells, with disruptive applications in both fundamental biology and advanced biotechnology. Owing to its ability to afford control over structural and functional properties at the nano-scale, DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a prime toolkit to engineer, program, and host biomimetic responses within lipid bilayer membranes. This Perspective review surveys advances on biomimetic membrane remodelling pathways coordinated by DNA nanostructures. I discuss strategies to prescribe the interactions of DNA nanostructures with lipid bilayers, and summarise progress to drive membrane remodelling events including lateral patterning, out-of-plane restructuring, fusion, and scission. Finally, I discuss current challenges alongside the yet untapped potential of nucleic acid nanostructures in membrane bioengineering to coordinate sophisticated behaviours in synthetic cells.
ER -