A pH-regulated camouflage strategy for access control in molecular systems

Continuous advancements in DNA nanotechnology have resulted in innovative information security strategies utilizing biomolecular-based encryption mechanisms to achieve effective protection and reliable storage. However, existing molecular encryption schemes are limited in their practical expansion due to their focus on the precise design and strict management of the key itself while neglecting the impact of complex environments, causing them to suffer from insufficient concealment and poor adaptability to complex access control scenarios. Here, we propose a pH-regulated camouflage strategy that significantly enhances the encryption concealment of molecular systems. Using pH-regulated logical operation transformations, we establish a switchable cascaded logic operation strategy that implements a two-layer DNA molecular firewall access control system. By integrating two distinct camouflage rules, the system constructs four differentiated access modes. This design effectively prevents unauthorized access, conceals true input addresses, and deceives potential attackers, thereby ensuring internal information security. This approach provides a simple method for the design and management of molecular systems and is expected to be applied in fields such as information security and environmental monitoring.