DNA nanostructures articles from across Nature Portfolio

The self-assembly process of DNA nanostructures is still not well understood, especially for DNA origami. Here, the authors present a mesoscopic model that uses a switchable force field to capture the mechanical behavior of single- and double-stranded DNA motifs and transition between them, allowing access to the long assembly timescales of DNA origami up to several kilobases in size.

Limited datasets hinder the accurate prediction of DNA origami structures. A data-driven and physics-informed approach for model training is presented using a graph neural network to facilitate the rapid virtual prototyping of DNA-based nanostructures.

Transmembrane channels have inspired the development of biomimetic channels. Here, the authors present a class of artificial nanochannels based on DNAzyme-functionalized glass nanopipettes to allow for the control of channel permeability.

Artificial biomolecular condensates are valuable tools to study the design principles of phase separation. Here, the authors demonstrate and characterize a model system of artificial DNA condensates whose kinetic formation and dissolution depends on DNA inputs that activate or deactivate the phase separating DNA subunits.

The mechanical dysregulation of cells is associated with several diseases and strategies to deliver drugs based on the “mechanical phenotype” of a cell are desirable. Here, the authors design and characterize DNA mechanocapsules comprised of DNA tetrahedrons that are force responsive, and showed they can encapsulate macromolecular cargo and release it upon application of force.

DNA tiles lay the foundation for programmable self-assembly of diverse DNA nanostructures. Here, the authors present a set of T-shaped crossover DNA tiles for various 2D tessellation and nanoring reconfiguration.

Conserved regions of the circular DNA sequence of the M13mp18 bacteriophage, which is used as a scaffold for DNA origami construction, are targeted with specific hybridization-chain-reaction probes. The probes enable sensitive detection of DNA origami nanostructures in cells, organoids and tissues to assess their biodistribution and stability.

DNA-origami nanostructures self-assembled at milder physicochemical parameters in magnesium-free conditions achieve structural complexities akin to those formed by thermal annealing at elevated temperatures, and open a route to assembling DNA nanomachines in physiological conditions.

Recent advancements in DNA nanotechnology are enabling the construction of both aesthetically pleasing and functional structures using synthetic DNA strands, paving the way for practical applications in various fields.

Stochastic modeling of antibody binding dynamics on patterned antigen substrates suggests the separation distance between adjacent antigens could be a control mechanism for the directed bipedal migration of bound antibodies.

Cyanuric acid (CA) derivatives can co-assemble with polyadenine sequences to form a triple helical DNA-based structure bearing functional groups able to guide higher ordered architectures.

DNA is much more than the genetic information it carries. It is a versatile material for creating systems with tailor-made functionalities that are having an important impact in emerging technologies.