Crafted from hybrid crystals combining DNA with inorganic materials, these tiny flower-shaped structures -- dubbed "DNA flowers" -- can rapidly fold and unfold within seconds.
According to researchers, their reversible motion makes them some of the most dynamic nanoscale materials ever engineered, opening new possibilities for responsive systems in medicine, sensing, and smart materials.
"In the future, swallowable or implantable shape-changing flowers could be designed to deliver a targeted dose of drugs, perform a biopsy, or clear a blood clot," said Ronit Freeman, director of the Freeman Lab at UNC.