Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

Molecular robotics is an interdisciplinary research field that aims to construct cell-sized functional systems by assembling molecular-level components. It is rapidly developing as a new discipline that bridges life sciences, physical chemistry, and engineering. Among its challenges, the creation of artificial cell-based molecular robots capable of autonomous movement, akin to living cells, represents a particularly ambitious goal directly linked to understanding life phenomena and developing next-generation bio-devices. To reconstruct the autonomous motility observed in living cells such as leukocytes, artificial cells must acquire a front–rear asymmetry and convert this asymmetry into propulsive forces. However, many aspects of how to implement and integrate these molecular mechanisms remain unresolved.

In this study, we aim to establish a new mechanism in which artificial cells spontaneously generate asymmetry and move autonomously by integrating DNA sequence–programmed liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) technology with the actin cytoskeleton control that drives cellular force generation. Specifically, we will (i) induce the phase separation of DNA nanostructures on the inner surface of artificial cell membranes to form two-dimensional patterns that spatially control biomolecular localization, and (ii) develop methods to link and control actin polymerization factors and the contractile motor myosin via DNA-based assemblies. By ultimately integrating these modules within artificial cells, we aim to construct artificial cell-based molecular robots that can move spontaneously without relying on external optical or chemical stimuli.

Looking forward, this system is expected to contribute to applications in complex environments such as extracellular matrices and living tissues, as well as to the fundamental understanding of life systems. Furthermore, by developing techniques to control cellular functional molecules with DNA, we aim to establish a foundation for designing a wide variety of functions—beyond motility—into artificial cell-based molecular robots.