CoBrA framework spatially decouples aptamer recognition from signaling
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A study published in Science Advances on October 23, 2026 introduces the Competitor Bridge Aptamer (CoBrA) framework, a method for spatially decoupling target recognition from signal transduction in aptamer switches. In conventional designs, the region of an aptamer that binds its target overlaps with the region that produces the output signal, which constrains how these molecular sensors can be engineered. CoBrA separates the two functions and uses an aptamer switch to trigger predictable, concerted tri-strand intermolecular displacement through a competitor strand. The framework has been demonstrated as a design principle in the published work; its application to specific diagnostic or therapeutic targets remains to be worked out by the field.
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- Sci AdvSpatial decoupling of recognition and signaling in aptamer switches via tri-strand intermolecular competition.
A paper in Science Advances proposes the Competitor Bridge Aptamer (CoBrA) framework, which spatially decouples target recognition from signal transduction and uses an aptamer switch to trigger predictable, concerted tri-strand displacement.
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