DNA Origami

DNA Origami

The construction of nucleic acid-based structures was first proposed by Nadrian C. Seeman in 1982 [1]. This was a revolutionary idea that co-founded a new field of research known today as “structural DNA nanotechnology”.

DNA origami is a nanotechnology technique that uses DNA molecules to create well defined nanoscale structures. It is based on the unique properties of DNA, in particular its ability to form complementary base pairs (A-T, C-G) and its double-stranded helical structure.

The DNA origami technique was developed by Paul Rothemund in 2006. It uses the self-organizing properties of DNA to create complex structures from a long, single-stranded DNA molecule (the “scaffold”) and shorter, synthetically produced DNA strands (the “staples” or staple strands) [2]. The scaffold-based DNA origami method has an entropic advantage over multi-strand methods, as the scaffold strand hybridizes less with itself and nucleates and templates hybridization events [3]. The DNA origami method is a bottom-up method in contrast to classic top-down nanostructuring methods, such as photolithography or dip-pen lithography [4].

Possible application are diverse and range from targeted drug delivery and nanomaterials to dynamic structures [5].

Nowadays, computer-aided simulations are mostly used to process and predict the enormous amounts of data from all possible basepairing interactions. Programs such as “CaDNAno” or “CanDo” help to find suitable designs.

References

[1] Nadrian C. Seeman, Nucleic acid junctions and lattices, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Volume 99, Issue 2, 1982, 237-247, ISSN 0022-5193, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(82)90002-9.

[2] Rothemund, P. Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. Nature 440, 297–302 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04586

[3] Saccà, B., & Niemeyer, C. M. (2012). DNA origami: the art of folding DNA. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51(1), 58-66.

[4] a) P. W. K. Rothemund, "Design of DNA origami," ICCAD-2005. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, 2005., San Jose, CA, USA, 2005, pp. 471-478, doi: 10.1109/ICCAD.2005.1560114. b) Rothemund, P. W. K. Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. Nature 2006, 440, 297-302.

[5] Jiang, Q., Shang, Y., Xie, Y., & Ding, B. (2024). DNA Origami: From Molecular Folding Art to Drug Delivery Technology. Advanced Materials, 36(22), 2301035.