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DOE OSTI · 1834244

Mutations in artificial self-replicating tiles: A step toward Darwinian evolution

Zhou, Feng·Sha, Ruojie·Ni, Heng·Seeman, Nadrian·Chaikin, Paul
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Abstract

Significance In nature, mutation is the first step of evolution, where it provides the genetic variation for the natural selection to act. Here we take a system of artificial self-replicating tiles, DNA origami, that exhibit templated reproduction. We can generate a small fraction of mutations by introducing a mismatch in hybridization between parent and daughter. We can modify the origami functionality to affect the growth rate of the mutated species, giving it less or more evolutionary advantage, and to become dominant in several generations. The introduction of mutations into an artificial self-replicating system provides new directions for research into self-assembly processes.

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICSDarwinian evolutionartificial self-replicationcross-tile DNA origamiexponential growthmutation

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Zhou, Feng, Sha, Ruojie, Ni, Heng, Seeman, Nadrian, Chaikin, Paul. 2021-12-06. Mutations in artificial self-replicating tiles: A step toward Darwinian evolution. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2111193118

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