Construction of a 4 Zeptoliters Switchable 3D DNA Box Origami

Reza M. Zadegan †‡§, Mette D. E. Jepsen †‡§, Karen E. Thomsen §, Anders H. Okholm †‡§, David H. Schaffert †‡§, Ebbe S. Andersen †‡§, Victoria Birkedal ‡§, and Jørgen Kjems †‡§*

^†Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, ^‡ Danish National Research Foundation: Centre for DNA Nanotechnology (CDNA) and ^§ Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark

ACS Nano, Article ASAP

DOI: 10.1021/nn303767b

Publication Date (Web): October 2, 2012

Copyright © 2012 American Chemical Society

The DNA origami technique is a recently developed self-assembly method that allows construction of 3D objects at the nanoscale for various applications. In the current study we report the production of a 18 × 18 × 24 nm³ hollow DNA box origami structure with a switchable lid. The structure was efficiently produced and characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy. The DNA box has a unique reclosing mechanism, which enables it to repeatedly open and close in response to a unique set of DNA keys. This DNA device can potentially be used for a broad range of applications such as controlling the function of single molecules, controlled drug delivery, and molecular computing.