DNA G-Quadruplex Is a Transcriptional Control Device That Regulates Memory.

The conformational state of DNA fine-tunes the transcriptional rate and abundance of RNA. Here, we report that G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA) accumulates in neurons, in an experience-dependent manner, and that this is required for the transient silencing and activation of genes that are critically involved in learning and memory in male C57/BL6 mice. In addition, site-specific resolution of G4-DNA by dCas9-mediated deposition of the helicase DHX36 impairs fear extinction memory. Dynamic DNA structure states therefore represent a key molecular mechanism underlying memory consolidation.One-Sentence Summary: G4-DNA is a molecular switch that enables the temporal regulation of the gene expression underlying the formation of fear extinction memory.

Energy-Level Manipulation in Novel Indacenodithiophene-Based Donor-Acceptor Polymers for Near-Infrared Organic Photodetectors.

Organic photodetectors (OPDs) are promising candidates for next-generation digital imaging and wearable sensors due to their low cost, tuneable optoelectrical properties combined with high-level performance, and solution-processed fabrication techniques. However, OPD detection is often limited to shorter wavelengths, whereas photodetection in the near-infrared (NIR) region is increasingly being required for wearable electronics and medical device applications. NIR sensing suffers from low responsivity and high dark currents. A common approach to enhance NIR photon detection is lowering the optical band gap via donor-acceptor (D-A) molecular engineering. Herein, we present the synthesis of two novel indacenodithiophene (IDT)-based D-A conjugated polymers, namely, PDPPy-IT and PSNT-IT via palladium-catalyzed Stille coupling reactions. These novel polymers exhibit optical band gaps of 1.81 and 1.27 eV for PDPPy-IT and PSNT-IT, respectively, with highly desirable visible and NIR light detection through energy-level manipulation. Moreover, excellent materials' solubility and thin-film processability allow easy incorporation of these polymers as an active layer into OPDs for light detection. In the case of PSNT-IT devices, a photodetection up to 1000 nm is demonstrated with a peak sensitivity centered at 875 nm, whereas PDPPy-IT devices are efficient in detecting the visible spectrum with the highest sensitivity at 660 nm. Overall, both OPDs exhibit spectral responsivities up to 0.11 A W-1 and dark currents in the nA cm-2 range. With linear dynamic ranges exceeding 140 dB and fast response times recorded below 100 µs, the use of novel IDT-based polymers in OPDs shows great potential for wearable optoelectronics.

Spectral changes associated with transmission of OLED emission through human skin.

A recent and emerging application of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) is in wearable technologies as they are flexible, stretchable and have uniform illumination over a large area. In such applications, transmission of OLED emission through skin is an important part and therefore, understanding spectral changes associated with transmission of OLED emission through human skin is crucial. Here, we report results on transmission of OLED emission through human skin samples for yellow and red emitting OLEDs. We found that the intensity of transmitted light varies depending on the site from where the skin samples are taken. Additionally, we show that the amount of transmitted light reduces by ~ 35-40% when edge emissions from the OLEDs are blocked by a mask exposing only the light emitting area of the OLED. Further, the emission/electroluminescence spectra of the OLEDs widen significantly upon passing through skin and the full width at half maximum increases by >20 nm and >15 nm for yellow and red OLEDs, respectively. For comparison, emission profile and intensities of transmitted light for yellow and red inorganic LEDs are also presented. Our results are highly relevant for the rapidly expanding area of non-invasive wearable technologies that use organic optoelectronic devices for sensing.

Organic Optoelectronic Diodes as Tactile Sensors for Soft-Touch Applications.

The distributed sense of touch forms an essential component that defines real-time perception and situational awareness in humans. Electronic skins are an emerging technology in conferring an artificial sense of touch for smart human-machine interfaces. However, assigning a conformably distributed sense of touch over a large area has been challenging to replicate in modern medical, social, and industrial robots. Herein, we present a new class of soft tactile sensors that exploit the mechanisms of triplet-triplet annihilation, exciton harvesting, and a small Stokes shift in conjugated organic semiconductors such as rubrene. By multiplexing the electroluminescence and photosensing modes, we show that a compact optoelectronic array of multifunctional rubrene/fullerene diodes can accurately measure pressure, position, and surface deformation applied to an overlying elastomeric layer. The dynamic range of sensing is defined by mechanical properties of the elastomer. Such optoelectronic approach paves the way for soft, conformal, and large-area compatible electronic skins for medicine and robotics.

Long-Term Stable Organic Photodetectors with Ultra Low Dark Currents for High Detectivity Applications.

Printed organic photodetectors can transform plastic, paper or glass into smart surfaces. This innovative technology is now growing exponentially due to the strong demand in human-machine interfaces. To date, only niche markets are targeted since organic sensors still present reduced performances in comparison with their inorganic counterparts. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to engineer a state-of-the-art organic photodetector approaching the performances of Si-based photodiodes in terms of dark current, responsivity and detectivity. Only three solution-processed layers and two low-temperature annealing steps are needed to achieve the performance that is significantly better than most of the organic photodetectors reported so far. We also perform a long-term ageing study. Lifetimes of over 14,000 hours under continuous operation are more than promising and demonstrate that organic photodetectors can reach a competitive level of stability for successful commercialization of this new and promising technology.