New ‘DNA origami’ technique could facilitate nanomachine breakthroughs

Scientists may be able to create more elaborate nanorobotic advances for medical applications following a breakthrough by Ohio State University engineers.

The new research builds on the established 'DNA origami' method for making nano-structures, which involves taking long strands of DNA, folding them into different shapes and securing certain parts together with shorter DNA strands.

For this new study, the team was able to apply basic design principles used on typical full-size machine parts to fashion these DNA structures into complex, controllable components, such as hinges and pistons.

This approach of designing simple joints and connecting them into complex working systems is common in macroscopic machine design, but this is the first time it has been accomplished with DNA.

Project leader Carlos Castro, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said: "Nature has produced incredibly complex molecular machines at the nanoscale, and a major goal of bio-nanotechnology is to reproduce their function synthetically."

The technology could ultimately be used to create nanorobots to deliver medicine inside the body, or to perform nanoscale biological measurement.