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Self-Assembling DNA Nanostructures

  • Self-Assembling DNA Nanostructures ** Fundamental Concepts *** Watson-Crick Base Pairing * Complementary strands Hydrogen bonding *** DNA Hybridization Duplex formation Kinetics and thermodynamics *** Structural DNA Nanotechnology Use of DNA as a building material * Programmable assembly

** Design Strategies *** DNA Origami * Folding a long DNA strand with short staples High-precision nanostructures *** Tile-based Assembly DNA tiles and lattices Algorithmic self-assembly *** DNA Bricks Modular assembly of 3D structures Highly versatile building blocks *** Scaffolding Techniques Scaffolded DNA origami * Use of pre-formed scaffolds for structure

** Assembly Methods *** Bottom-up Assembly * Molecular self-assembly approach Nanostructure formation from basic building blocks *** Templated Assembly Controlled placement using pre-defined templates Surface-directed assembly *** Dynamic Assembly Reconfigurable nanostructures * Triggered by environmental factors (e.g., temperature, ions)

** Applications *** Nanotechnology * Drug delivery systems Smart materials *** Biosensing Diagnostic tools for detecting biomolecules Highly sensitive molecular detection *** Molecular Electronics DNA as molecular wires * Nanoscale circuits and devices

** Challenges *** Error Control * Misfolding and assembly errors Methods for increasing precision *** Stability Environmental sensitivity (pH, temperature) Long-term structural integrity *** Scalability Assembling larger, more complex structures * Challenges with mass production

** Tools and Techniques *** DNA Synthesis * Custom sequence generation Chemical synthesis of DNA strands *** Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Imaging at the nanoscale Visualizing DNA nanostructures *** Cryo-Electron Microscopy High-resolution structural imaging * 3D reconstruction of DNA assemblies

** Emerging Research *** Dynamic and Reconfigurable Structures * DNA nanostructures that change in response to stimuli Applications in responsive materials and smart drugs *** Hybrid Nanomaterials Combining DNA with inorganic materials DNA-metal and DNA-polymer composites *** DNA-Based Nanomachines Molecular motors and walkers * Autonomous movement at the nanoscale

** Collaborative Disciplines *** Chemistry * Nucleic acid chemistry Supramolecular chemistry *** Physics Nanophysics Study of mechanical properties of DNA structures *** Computer Science Algorithm design for self-assembly * Simulating DNA nanostructure formation