The core principle of Thrust 1 is a templated self-assembly of macromolecular and nanocomposite systems that can lead to differential equilibrium states. The assembly components of Thrust 1 rely on reversible covalent bonding and non-covalent interactions (nucleic acid base pairing, ionic bonding, hydrophobic interactions, 𝜋-stacking) to form organized structures. We propose to use photothermal effects, photoisomerization, redox chemistry and remodeling nucleic acids as driving forces for transformation between different equilibrium assemblies.