On Jun. 24, 2026, researchers from the Technical University of Munich presented a DNA origami–based, mechanically bistable snap-through mechanism that can be electrically controlled. This nanoscale switching mechanism exhibits long-term stability in both states in the absence of external stimuli while achieving millisecond-scale switching times upon application of an electric field.

Individual devices sustain hundreds of thousands of switching cycles over several hours and remain functional for actuation over several days, offering a powerful platform for systematically studying the endurance and failure mechanisms of biomolecular nanoswitches. As a nanoscale electromechanical interface, their device enables applications in molecular information processing, optical nanodevices, and the dynamic control of chemical reactions.

Switchable elements play a fundamental role in a wide range of natural and engineered systems, enabling transitions between distinct states in response to external stimuli. In technology, they form the basis of computation, data storage, and signal processing, whereas in biology, molecular switches regulate essential cellular processes, including gene expression, enzymatic activity, and signal transduction

The research team demonstrate that functionalization with gold nanorods facilitates polarization-dependent optical modulation, establishing direct application in plasmonics. They further show that controlling the accessibility of a molecular binding site allows electrical regulation of reaction kinetics, thereby directly coupling mechanical switching to biochemical function.

Using external electric fields, they can reliably toggle the structure between its two states with high speed and endurance. This allows the study of device lifetime and failure mechanisms at the molecular scale, providing valuable insights for the development of robust nanomechanical systems. Their work demonstrates the potential of DNA-based bistable switches for molecular robotic applications ranging from nanophotonics to the regulation of reaction kinetics.