The results of the research, led by Professor Geoffrey Spinks (Geoffrey M. Spinks) and Sung Yong Kim (Seon Jeong Kim), published in the journal Angewandte Chemie (Tough Supersoft Sponge Fibers with Tunable Stiffness from a DNA Self-Assembly Technique).

The soft tissues of the body, such as tendons, muscles, arteries, skin and other organs of gaining strength through the support of the extracellular matrix, which forms the basis of connective tissue and is formed from nanovolokon. Different morphology of proteins in the extracellular matrix defines a wide range of stiffness. Implants and supports for growing tissues require soft porous materials, which are usually quite fragile. On the other hand, in many cases, biological tissues are subjected to considerable mechanical stress, hence, requiring the strength of materials. An important feature of the artificial material is also elastic, which helps avoid inflammation.

A new approach based on the use of strands of molecules of DNA as a matrix, which completely «wrapped» carbon nanotubes, which form the supporting structure. The third component of the artificial tissue is the ionic liquid that promotes the formation of the gel. Such a gel with the injection of a special solution forms a very thin strand from which it is possible to create fabrics - in exactly the same as the fiber of silk or synthetic fibers. Dried gel strands have a porous sponge structure, and in fact represent a network of interwoven nanovolokon thickness of about 50 nm. Further maceration in a solution of calcium chloride is more intense interlocking strands of DNA molecules, seals the structure of the fibers and, consequently, reinforcement material.

These fibers resemble Sponge network of fibers of collagen in biological extracellular matrix. They may be linked, zapleteny or weaving in the structure, such as tissue. As a result, materials, elastic like a very soft natural fabrics and the human body, at the same time have high strength due to strong links between the strands of DNA molecules.

An additional advantage of the new material is its electrical conductivity, through which such material can also be used, and not of biological systems, such as motor drives, energy storage devices, etc. In particular, researchers were able to make a sensor for hydrogen peroxide, in which carbon nanotubes act as a catalyst for further oxidation reactions of hydrogen peroxide. Emerging with an electric current can be measured. Hydrogen peroxide plays a role in normal functioning of heart and some of its diseases. Therefore, a reliable sensor with elastic, close heart muscle, could be useful in the study of these dependencies.

It should be noted that the real work - not the first in this area and not only, the authors have developed an artificial substitute for obtaining a sequence of biological tissue, based on nanotubes and DNA molecules (see, eg, here). It seems that an important advantage of this study is its technologically advanced, thanks to which the authors were able to outline such a harsh perspective.