We developed and experimentally verified an analytical model to describe diffusion of oligonucleotides from stable hydrogel beads. The synthesized alginate beads are Fe3+-cross-linked as well as polyelectrolyte-doped for uniformity and stability at physiological pH. Data on diffusion of oligonucleotides from inside the beads provide physical insights into the volume nature of the immobilization of a fraction of oligonucleotides due to polyelectrolyte cross-linking, i.e., the absence of the surface-layer barrier in this case. Furthermore, our results suggest a new simple approach to measuring the diffusion coefficient of the mobile oligonucleotide molecules inside hydrogel. The considered alginate beads provide a model for a well-defined component in drug release systems and for the oligonucleotide-release transduction steps in drug-delivering and biocomputing applications. This is illustrated by destabilizing the beads with citrate that induces full oligonucleotide release with non-diffusional kinetics.
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