The process of fractal assembly, using wooden puzzle pieces.
In 2006, Caltech's Paul Rothemund (BS '94)-now research professor of bioengineering, computing and mathematical sciences, and computation and neural systems-developed a method to fold a long strand of DNA into a prescribed shape. The technique, dubbed DNA origami, enabled scientists to create self-assembling DNA structures that could carry any specified pattern, such as a 100-nanometer-wide smiley face. DNA origami revolutionized the field of nanotechnology, opening up possibilities of building tiny molecular devices or "smart" programmable materials. However, some of these applications require much larger DNA origami structures. Now, scientists in the laboratory of Lulu Qian , assistant professor of bioengineering at Caltech, have developed an inexpensive method by which DNA origami self-assembles into large arrays with entirely customizable patterns, creating a sort of canvas that can display any image. To demonstrate this, the team created the world's smallest recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa -out of DNA. The work is described in a paper appearing in the December 7 issue of the journal Nature .
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
