DNA Genie Bottle Assembles Itself

Researchers have coaxed DNA to self-assemble into specific two- and three-dimensional shapes before, but not with this level of complexity. William Shih and colleagues can now produce three-dimensional DNA objects forming a range of shapes, at a scale of 10 to 100 nanometres. Here, they unveil a variety of self-assembled DNA objects, including a genie bottle, monolith and railed bridge.

Although the shapes can take a week or more to self-assemble, the authors manage to obtain an impressive degree of control over the positions of the various DNA helices. They do it by arranging the DNA helices into pleated strands, which are then assembled into a honeycomb-like three-dimensional structure linked by phosphate groups between the various strands.

CONTACT

William Shih (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA)
E-mail: William_Shih@dfci.harvard.edu

Thomas LaBean (Duke University, Durham, NC, USA) N&V author
E-mail: thl@cs.duke.edu

(C) Nature press release.

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