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Simple, fast, label-free, and nanoquencher-free system for operating multivalued DNA logic gates using polythymine templated CuNPs as signal reporters

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Abstract

Boolean logic devices play a key role in both traditional and nontraditional molecular logic circuits. This kind of binary logic, in which each bit is coded by (0, 1), has only two output states—on or off (or high/low). Because of the finite computing capacity and variation, it is facing challenges from multivalued logic gates while processing high-density or uncertain/imprecise information. However, a low-cost, simple, and universal system that can perform different multivalued logic computations has not yet been developed, and remains a concept for further study. Herein, taking the ternary OR and INHIBIT logic gates as model devices, we present the fabrication of a novel simple, fast, label-free, and nanoquencher-free system for multivalued DNA logic gates using poly-thymine (T) templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) as signal reporters. The mixture of Cu2+ and ascorbic acid (AA) is taken as a universal platform for all ternary logic gates. Different kinds of poly-T strands and delicately designed complementary poly-adenine (A) strands are alternatively applied as ternary inputs to exhibit the ternary output states (low/0, medium/1, high/2). Notably, there are no nanoquenchers in this platform as poly-A strands can function as not only inputs but also efficient inhibitors of poly-T templated CuNPs. Moreover, all DNA are unlabeled single-strand DNA that do not need sophisticated labeling procedures or sequence design. The above design greatly reduces the operating time, costs, and complexity. More importantly, the ternary logic computations can be completed within 20 min because of the fast formation of CuNPs, and all of them share the same threshold values.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21375123, 21427811 and 21675151).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China

    Daoqing Fan, Erkang Wang & Shaojun Dong

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Daoqing Fan, Erkang Wang & Shaojun Dong

Authors
  1. Daoqing Fan
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  2. Erkang Wang
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Correspondence to Shaojun Dong.

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12274_2017_1458_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Simple, fast, label-free, and nanoquencher-free system for operating multivalued DNA logic gates using polythymine templated CuNPs as signal reporters

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Fan, D., Wang, E. & Dong, S. Simple, fast, label-free, and nanoquencher-free system for operating multivalued DNA logic gates using polythymine templated CuNPs as signal reporters. Nano Res. 10, 2560–2569 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1458-x

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