Outlook of aptamer-based smart materials for industrial applications

Abstract

"Smart" materials are advanced materials that are able to change their physical or chemical properties in response to external stimuli in their environment, and they are finding uses in industry such as in drug delivery, for example. By adding a molecular recognition probe to the material that is specific to a target of interest, these smart materials can become responsive to specific molecules or biomolecules. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that fold into complex structures and bind their targets with high affinity and selectivity. Due to their stability and facile method of synthesis and labeling, DNA aptamers are well suited to incorporation in smart materials. The addition of aptamers into these advanced materials allows the material to gain functionality from target recognition, altering the properties of the material upon target binding. Aptamer-based smart materials bring together aptamer technology with materials science, producing multifunctional, advanced materials with tunable properties that could be applied to many facets of industry. This chapter will discuss current literature and patents pertaining to aptamer-based smart materials and discuss the applicability of these materials for industrial applications.