(794g) DNA Origami Based Fabrication of Reconfigurable Nanostructures

DNA origami is a relatively new technique that uses hundreds of short “staple” DNA oligonucleotides to direct the folding of a single stranded DNA scaffold into a predefined structure. Such folded DNA structures possess nanometer precision and can be used as high precision templates for nanofabrication. Here, we show that the chirality of the nano-helices can be readily controlled by rationally design the complementary DNA strands that link adjacent DNA origami monomers together. The strategy we present here offers a facile way to create nano helices and tune their unique properties of these chiral structures. We present the use of DNA origami as a template for arranging nano objects into helical configuration. Unlike previous works that uses single DNA origami as template, we assemble multiple DNA origami monomers into larger nano-helices whose dimensions approach the wavelength of visible light. Such larger structures are capable to template more nano objects with larger dimensions and can lead to stronger chiral properties. Most importantly, we present a novel strategy which can be used to reversibly reconfigure the geometry of hierarchically assembled DNA structures.