Gene-driven Self-morphing Microtubule-based Active Matter

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Abstract
Materials that change shape or flow typically rely on external fields, photochemical cues, or compositions fixed at the time of assembly. Here, we introduce a self-morphing active material whose mechanical behavior is programmed genetically and executed autonomously. By embedding cell-free gene expression within a dense microtubule network, DNA instructions are transcribed and translated in vitro into molecular motors, crosslinkers, and transcription factors that generate and regulate internal stresses. We implement two control architectures. In the first, mechanical feedback through co-expression of stress-responsive microtubule crosslinkers produces pulsed dynamics and arrest. In the second, genetic feedback uses motors functionalized with transcription activators to couple mechanical transport to gene regulation, generating sustained oscillations transduced into rhythmic material motion. The system autonomously selects among static, flowing, pulsed, oscillatory, or arrested states, with timescales and amplitudes set by transcriptional programs rather than external fields. These results establish DNA-encoded regulation of active stresses as a general strategy for designing cytoskeletal materials whose mechanical properties are programmed through gene expression.