Tom Brown Group

Addressable high-information-density DNA nanostructures

J. Tumpane, P. Sandin, R. Kumar, V. E. C. Powers, E. P. Lundberg, N. Gale, P. Baglioni, J. M. Lehn, B. Albinsson, P. Lincoln, L. M. Wilhelmsson, T. Brown and B. Norden. Chem. Phys. Lett. 440 (1), 125-129, 2007.

Abstract

We present a strategy for self-assembly of the smallest yet reported DNA nanostructures that are also addressable in terms of their DNA-base code. Using linear as well as novel branched three-way DNA oligonucleotide building-blocks we demonstrate the formation of a nano-network’s fundamental cell, a DNA pseudo-hexagon of side 4 nm. The network’s inherent addressability will allow functionalization with sub-nanometer precision yielding unprecedented richness in information density, important in the context of Moore’s Law and nano-chip technology.