ESPCI web site
Synthesis of spatio-temporal structures with DNA molecular programs
The question that motivates my research is to what extent non-equilibrium molecular systems can create order at the macroscopic scale, in particular spatial order.
In an attempt to answer this question I will describe an approach that may be called "synthetic biology outside of cells". Firstly, I will introduce a set of highly reconfigurable synthetic chemical reaction networks based on DNA. Secondly, I will describe how we have used it to synthesize different spatio-temporal patterns, such as travelling waves and stationary fronts and I will discuss the possibility of exploiting these patterns for devising synthetic materials inspired from embryonic development. Finally, I will suggest open theoretical questions that we have encountered while investigating these systems.