Knowledge Bank

DNA origami is an emerging nanotechnology for fabrication of nanostructures with promising applications in biosensing, drug delivery, and nanomanufacturing. This approach uses hundreds of oligonucleotides (short pieces of single-stranded DNA, ssDNA) to fold a long ssDNA "scaffold" strand into precisely designed nanoscale 3D geometries. Our laboratory is interested in making responsive materials and devices for applications including drug delivery, biosensing, and biophysical measurements. This work will develop a framework for creating stimuli-responsive DNA material assemblies based on dynamic structures with "cryptic" or hidden binding sites that are occluded and only become accessible for material assembly after reconfiguration of the structure. We will utilize complex multiple arm structures connected by joints that are initially closed to occlude material assembly sites, and opens in response to specific trigger molecules. The actuation or triggering of these devices may result in a hierarchical structural assembly, allowing for a larger surface area with more exposure to harmful proteins or molecules. The triggered hierarchical assembly of DNA nanostructures has promising applications such as diagnostic tools, delivery systems, or capture devices.