Marangoni droplets of dextran in PEG solution and its motile change due to coil-globule transition of coexisting DNA

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Hauptverfasser: Furuki, Tomohiro, Sakuta, Hiroki, Yanagisawa, Naoya, Tabuchi, Shingo, Kamo, Akari, Shimamoto, Daisuke S., Yanagisawa, Miho
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2023
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author Furuki, Tomohiro
Sakuta, Hiroki
Yanagisawa, Naoya
Tabuchi, Shingo
Kamo, Akari
Shimamoto, Daisuke S.
Yanagisawa, Miho
author_facet Furuki, Tomohiro
Sakuta, Hiroki
Yanagisawa, Naoya
Tabuchi, Shingo
Kamo, Akari
Shimamoto, Daisuke S.
Yanagisawa, Miho
contents Motile droplets using Marangoni convection are attracting attention for their potential as cell-mimicking small robots. However, the motion of droplets relative to the internal and external environments that generate Marangoni convection has not been quantitatively described. This study used an aqueous two-phase system (polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran) in an elongated chamber to generate motile dextran droplets in a constant PEG concentration gradient. We demonstrated that dextran droplets move by Marangoni convection, resulting from the PEG concentration gradient and the active transport of PEG and dextran into and out of the droplet. Furthermore, by spontaneously incorporating long DNA into the dextran droplets, we achieved cell-like motility changes controlled by coexisting environment-sensing molecules. The DNA changes its position within the droplet and motile speed in response to external conditions. In the presence of Mg2+, the coil-globule transition of DNA inside the droplet accelerates the motile speed due to the decrease in the droplet's dynamic viscosity. Globule DNA condenses at the rear part of the droplet along the convection, while coil DNA moves away from the droplet's central axis, separating the dipole convections. These results provide a blueprint for designing autonomous small robots using phase-separated droplets, which change the mobility and molecular distribution within the droplet in reaction to the environment. It will also open unexplored areas of self-assembly mechanisms through phase separation under convections, such as intracellular phase separation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2306_07494
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Marangoni droplets of dextran in PEG solution and its motile change due to coil-globule transition of coexisting DNA
Furuki, Tomohiro
Sakuta, Hiroki
Yanagisawa, Naoya
Tabuchi, Shingo
Kamo, Akari
Shimamoto, Daisuke S.
Yanagisawa, Miho
Soft Condensed Matter
Biological Physics
Fluid Dynamics
Motile droplets using Marangoni convection are attracting attention for their potential as cell-mimicking small robots. However, the motion of droplets relative to the internal and external environments that generate Marangoni convection has not been quantitatively described. This study used an aqueous two-phase system (polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran) in an elongated chamber to generate motile dextran droplets in a constant PEG concentration gradient. We demonstrated that dextran droplets move by Marangoni convection, resulting from the PEG concentration gradient and the active transport of PEG and dextran into and out of the droplet. Furthermore, by spontaneously incorporating long DNA into the dextran droplets, we achieved cell-like motility changes controlled by coexisting environment-sensing molecules. The DNA changes its position within the droplet and motile speed in response to external conditions. In the presence of Mg2+, the coil-globule transition of DNA inside the droplet accelerates the motile speed due to the decrease in the droplet's dynamic viscosity. Globule DNA condenses at the rear part of the droplet along the convection, while coil DNA moves away from the droplet's central axis, separating the dipole convections. These results provide a blueprint for designing autonomous small robots using phase-separated droplets, which change the mobility and molecular distribution within the droplet in reaction to the environment. It will also open unexplored areas of self-assembly mechanisms through phase separation under convections, such as intracellular phase separation.
title Marangoni droplets of dextran in PEG solution and its motile change due to coil-globule transition of coexisting DNA
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Biological Physics
Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.07494