Conceptual animation of a fractal assembly process for creating the Mona Lisa out of DNA.CALTECHDNA is a powerful building medium because its sequences can be designed to allow for precise control of self-assembly. In one fabrication technique—known as DNA origami—a single, long scaffold strand combines with complementary staple strands to form a nanostructure.
Researchers have spent the last decade working to make DNA origami bigger and cheaper. Now, four studies published today (December 6) in Nature represent a substantial step forward. Three research teams have used various strategies to assemble DNA structures larger than any that have been built before, and have developed a method that allows for mass production of DNA origami at a much lower cost.
Lulu Qian, a bioengineer at Caltech, and colleagues created a technique inspired by fractals, a mathematical principle in which the same rules repeat at different scales, as in the branches of blood vessels or the ...
