Light-induced 3D-printing of DNA-based Responsive Hydrogels

DNA-responsive hydrogels are a powerful class of materials with programmable functionalities, and have attracted growing interest in the last decade. This work introduces a fabrication strategy based on vat 3D printing Digital Light Processing (DLP) to create hybrid hydrogel architectures incorporating acrydite-modified DNA as a co-monomers. The test performed demonstrates that the molecular integrity of the DNA strands is preserved in the 3D printing process, enabling a specific and selective volumetric expansion triggered by the hybridization chain reaction (HCR) of complementary hairpins. By optimizing the printing parameters, well-defined complex 3D objects and multi-material structures are fabricated using minimal resin volumes (less than 100 µL). The hydrogel properties are also validated through reversible dehybridization cycles. Moreover, these materials show the ability to retain molecular recognition even in complex genomic environments, demonstrating the selectivity of the fabricated structures. These results establish a synergistic platform where advanced 3D design and molecular-scale responsiveness converge, opening new perspectives for the realization of sophisticated stimulus-responsive devices and advanced sensing applications.