Nanocomposite DNA hydrogels emerging as programmable and bioinstructive materials systems

The innovation of DNA hydrogels has led to the development of programmable nanocomposite DNA hydrogels that are now emerging as bioinstructive materials systems for fundamental and applied research at the crossroads of chemistry, materials, and biology Due to the feasible synthesis of various colloidal materials and DNA-colloid conjugates, nanocomposite DNA hydrogels can be rationally designed and assembled with tunable physiochemical property as well as integrated functionalities, thereby responding to external physical cues, exhibiting catalytic activities, or acting as therapeutic agents. Furthermore, the implementation of such tailorable substrata enables grafting, colonization, and control of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells for cell-substrate engineering. It can be anticipated that the integration of nanocomposite DNA hydrogels with microfluidic systems or DNA surface technology might facilitate the development of modern integrated systems and platforms for widespread applications in materials and life sciences.