Nature uses molecules that can change shape to communicate information. In this project we looked to develop artificial methods that could achieve related outcomes more generally, using synthetic compounds. We set out to explore simple chain molecules that can change shape, and to induce them to do this by borrowing some ideas from the structure of DNA. Ultimately, success could lead to new ways of controlling the function of biological systems, ie curing diseases. Our overall objective was to indiuce a single molecule to change shape, and for that change in shape to be transmitted from one end of the molecule to the other. It turned olut that this was a difficult task, and the project made significant discoveries that helped us along the route to this aim, but further work is needed to reach the target. We can conclude from the work so far that selective binding-induced changes in shape are possible, but that communicating that shape change through the molecule is more difficult if the molecule already has a favoured arrangement.