Litters of self-replicating origami cross-tiles

Abstract

Significance In nature, self-replication and exponential growth are common. Here we introduce a system of artificial self-replicators based on DNA origami cross-tile motifs. Unlike previous systems based on making a single copy of a parent template, the cross-tile systems, like many natural species, can produce “litters” of offspring per generation. The cross-tiles enable a ladder-like structure to crystallize from the template on cooling. UV exposure covalently binds the assembled components of the offspring and heating releases the autonomous daughters from the parent, up to 10 offspring per cycle. The enhanced growth rate speeds up experimental studies and provides an evolutionary advantage for selection.