A Crystalline DNA Device

Abstract

Although many DNA nanodevices have been designed and synthesized to this day, a recent paper published in Nature Chemistry shows that the founder of structural DNA nanotechnology has developed the first 3D DNA crystal that can operate as a multi-state, reusable device. Ever since it was realized that DNA is the molecular code for life on Earth, it has been subjected to extensive and intensifying research and investigation. These studies range from understanding how four simple nucleotides encode information for every structure, directive, and procedure that keeps an organism viable to understanding the properties of the DNA polymer itself. The field of DNA nanotechnology encompasses a broad swath of these investigations, whereby DNA is being used to encode precise structures and responsive processes, recognition systems, selfassembly, and mechanical devices, among others. Here, we exhibit recent work by Seeman and colleagues in Nature Chemistry, where they have demonstrated the first synthetic DNA crystal that is a fully operational multistate device while in the solid crystalline state. 1