We present a novel nanoparticle building block system based on the interactions between short synthetic oligonucleotides and peptides. Gold nanoparticles coated with DNA-binding peptides can be attached to self-organized oligonucleotide templates to formulate well-ordered structures of nanoparticles. By regulating the amount of DNA-binding peptide attached to the nanoparticle surface and using specifically designed oligonucleotides, the nanoparticle assembly can be controlled to form dimers, trimers, and adjustable-length nanoparticle chains as well as more complex structures.

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