Multimachine Communication Network That Mimics the Adaptive Immune Response

Biological organisms capable of controlling and performing a wide variety of functions have inspired attempts to mimic biological systems with designable intelligence. Here we develop a multimachine communication network (MMCN) to mimic the operation and function of adaptive immune response (AIR) via connecting three kinds of DNA machines built from module-functionalized gold nanoparticles. These machines simulate three critical immune cells, dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes, and their differentiation and coordinated interaction upon exposure and response to an invading pathogen. MMCN is composed of standard modules with track, movement, and fuel components that allow for the (1) integration and adaptability of a single machine, (2) convenient spatiotemporal control of the sequential activation of a single machine, and (3) rapid reaction rate and high efficiency owing to an enhanced local concentration of interacting species. We show that the proposed network can sense and clear the corresponding pathogen via consecutive activation and connection of the machines, simultaneously forming a memory to respond more rapidly and effectively upon the second invasion of the pathogen. This system may be extended to construct powerful networks to execute more sophisticated tasks and accomplish diverse functions.