DNA Hydrogel Collapses, Then Remembers Original Shape

 

To learn more about this material, go to http://cenm.ag/hydrogels. Nature can do a lot of spectacular things. But some researchers are designing materials that go beyond what Mother Earth is capable of. These substances are called metamaterials. Now, scientists from Cornell University have designed a new metamaterial called a DNA hydrogel that can collapse into a puddlelike state but then retake its original shape when submerged in water. Like the robot assassin T-1000 in “Terminator 2,” the researchers think their new gel might one day flow through a narrow opening and take shape again on the other side. In the meantime, however, they’re eyeing the material for use in drug delivery and electrical circuits.