Switchable elements are central to both technological devices and biological machines because they enable controlled and reversible transitions between distinct functional states. Here, we present 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, our device enables applications in molecular information processing, optical nanodevices, and the dynamic control of chemical reactions. We demonstrate that functionalization with gold nanorods facilitates polarization-dependent optical modulation, establishing direct application in plasmonics. We 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.
Rothfischer et al. (Wed,) studied this question.