Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures

Structural DNA nanotechnology has recently gained significant momentum, as diverse design tools for producing custom DNA shapes have become more and more accessible to numerous laboratories worldwide. Most commonly, researchers are employing a scaffolded DNA origami technique by “sculpting” a desire...

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Main Authors: Petteri Piskunen, Sami Nummelin, Boxuan Shen, Mauri A. Kostiainen, Veikko Linko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/8/1823
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author Petteri Piskunen
Sami Nummelin
Boxuan Shen
Mauri A. Kostiainen
Veikko Linko
author_facet Petteri Piskunen
Sami Nummelin
Boxuan Shen
Mauri A. Kostiainen
Veikko Linko
author_sort Petteri Piskunen
collection DOAJ
description Structural DNA nanotechnology has recently gained significant momentum, as diverse design tools for producing custom DNA shapes have become more and more accessible to numerous laboratories worldwide. Most commonly, researchers are employing a scaffolded DNA origami technique by “sculpting” a desired shape from a given lattice composed of packed adjacent DNA helices. Albeit relatively straightforward to implement, this approach contains its own apparent restrictions. First, the designs are limited to certain lattice types. Second, the long scaffold strand that runs through the entire structure has to be manually routed. Third, the technique does not support trouble-free fabrication of hollow single-layer structures that may have more favorable features and properties compared to objects with closely packed helices, especially in biological research such as drug delivery. In this focused review, we discuss the recent development of wireframe DNA nanostructures—methods relying on meshing and rendering DNA—that may overcome these obstacles. In addition, we describe each available technique and the possible shapes that can be generated. Overall, the remarkable evolution in wireframe DNA structure design methods has not only induced an increase in their complexity and thus expanded the prevalent shape space, but also already reached a state at which the whole design process of a chosen shape can be carried out automatically. We believe that by combining cost-effective biotechnological mass production of DNA strands with top-down processes that decrease human input in the design procedure to minimum, this progress will lead us to a new era of DNA nanotechnology with potential applications coming increasingly into view.
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spelling doaj.art-80d7cbf20e3242ccbf6e12c73bd9088a2023-11-19T21:45:48ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492020-04-01258182310.3390/molecules25081823Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA NanostructuresPetteri Piskunen0Sami Nummelin1Boxuan Shen2Mauri A. Kostiainen3Veikko Linko4Biohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, FinlandBiohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, FinlandBiohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, FinlandBiohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, FinlandBiohybrid Materials, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, FinlandStructural DNA nanotechnology has recently gained significant momentum, as diverse design tools for producing custom DNA shapes have become more and more accessible to numerous laboratories worldwide. Most commonly, researchers are employing a scaffolded DNA origami technique by “sculpting” a desired shape from a given lattice composed of packed adjacent DNA helices. Albeit relatively straightforward to implement, this approach contains its own apparent restrictions. First, the designs are limited to certain lattice types. Second, the long scaffold strand that runs through the entire structure has to be manually routed. Third, the technique does not support trouble-free fabrication of hollow single-layer structures that may have more favorable features and properties compared to objects with closely packed helices, especially in biological research such as drug delivery. In this focused review, we discuss the recent development of wireframe DNA nanostructures—methods relying on meshing and rendering DNA—that may overcome these obstacles. In addition, we describe each available technique and the possible shapes that can be generated. Overall, the remarkable evolution in wireframe DNA structure design methods has not only induced an increase in their complexity and thus expanded the prevalent shape space, but also already reached a state at which the whole design process of a chosen shape can be carried out automatically. We believe that by combining cost-effective biotechnological mass production of DNA strands with top-down processes that decrease human input in the design procedure to minimum, this progress will lead us to a new era of DNA nanotechnology with potential applications coming increasingly into view.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/8/1823DNA nanotechnologyDNA origamiself-assemblycomputer-aided designwireframe structuresmeshing
spellingShingle Petteri Piskunen
Sami Nummelin
Boxuan Shen
Mauri A. Kostiainen
Veikko Linko
Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
Molecules
DNA nanotechnology
DNA origami
self-assembly
computer-aided design
wireframe structures
meshing
title Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
title_full Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
title_fullStr Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
title_full_unstemmed Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
title_short Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures
title_sort increasing complexity in wireframe dna nanostructures
topic DNA nanotechnology
DNA origami
self-assembly
computer-aided design
wireframe structures
meshing
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/8/1823
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AT saminummelin increasingcomplexityinwireframednananostructures
AT boxuanshen increasingcomplexityinwireframednananostructures
AT mauriakostiainen increasingcomplexityinwireframednananostructures
AT veikkolinko increasingcomplexityinwireframednananostructures