Hybrid nucleic acid switches

An DNA/RNA hybrid nucleic acid nanoparticle comprising:

• (a) at least one trigger toehold or at least one exchange toehold, wherein each at least one trigger toehold and the at least one exchange toehold independently comprise DNA and/or RNA;
• and
• (b) at least one single stranded RNA output strand,
• wherein no portion of the at least one trigger toehold hybridizes to any portion of the at least one output strand, the at least one trigger toehold is complementary and hybridizes to a first target sequence when the nanoparticle is in the presence of the first target sequence, and the nanoparticle does not contain the target sequence, further wherein the nanoparticle comprises a sense construct and an antisense construct, wherein the sense construct and the antisense construct are not connected to each other, wherein the at least one output strand separates from the nanoparticle when the at least one trigger toehold hybridizes to the first target sequence.