Date | 5th, Jun 2018 |
---|
Home > Press > Promising news from biomedicine: DNA origami more resilient than previously understood
Abstract: The DNA origami technique is a widely used method for making complex, yet well-defined nanostructures, with applications in biophysics, molecular biology, as well as drug and enzyme delivery. A major challenge, however, has been in achieving long-lasting stability under the conditions required for these applications.
Aalto, Finland | Posted on June 4th, 2018
Until now, the technique has required high concentrations of magnesium well above those found in the human body.
"Conventional DNA origami assembly requires levels of magnesium easily 10-30 times as high as those in normal physiological conditions. With our method, we can go below one thousandth of the minimum magnesium concentration previously reported," says Adjunct Professor Veikko Linko from Aalto University, who co-led the study with Dr. Adrian Keller of Paderborn University.
Key to the gentle buffer exchange method developed by the researchers is removing free ions from the buffer solution efficiently but not all residual magnesium from the nanostructures. Previous research has identified low magnesium levels as one of the most critical parameters that reduce DNA origami stability in cell culture media.
"We found - quite surprisingly - that just Tris and pure water worked well with low-magnesium levels for all types of structures," explains Linko.
Tris is a common component of buffer solutions used, for example, in biochemistry applications. Findings show that phosphate-based buffers with a high enough concentration of sodium or potassium can also stabilize DNA origami.
The study investigated the stability of quasi-one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional DNA origami objects. The nanostructures achieved using the technique showed strong structural integrity, maintained even for extended periods of time.
"We can store the structures in low-magnesium conditions for weeks and even months without seeing any structural defects. These findings might pave the way for a plethora of biomedical uses that were previously thought impossible, as for example fluorophores and many enzymes are sensitive to magnesium levels," envisions Linko.
The researchers further observed that the more tightly packed the helices in their DNA objects were, the more sensitive they were to the environment in low-magnesium conditions. This suggests that the stability of DNA origami can be enhanced through the optimization of the design procedure.
The results have been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition and the article has been selected as a "Hot Paper".
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:Veikko Linko
358-456-739-997
Copyright © Aalto University
If you have a comment, please Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
News and information
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Biophysics
First measurement of electron energy distributions, could enable sustainable energy technologies June 5th, 2020
Biophysics -- lighting up DNA-based nanostructures April 25th, 2018
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
New chip ramps up AI computing efficiency August 19th, 2022
Rice team eyes cells for sophisticated data storage: National Science Foundation backs effort to turn living cells into equivalent of computer RAM August 19th, 2022
UNC Charlotte-led team invents new anticoagulant platform, offering hope for advances for heart surgery, dialysis, other procedures July 15th, 2022
Possible Futures
New chip ramps up AI computing efficiency August 19th, 2022
Rice team eyes cells for sophisticated data storage: National Science Foundation backs effort to turn living cells into equivalent of computer RAM August 19th, 2022
Nanomedicine
Discoveries
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022
Announcements
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022
Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
New chip ramps up AI computing efficiency August 19th, 2022
UNC Charlotte-led team invents new anticoagulant platform, offering hope for advances for heart surgery, dialysis, other procedures July 15th, 2022
Photoinduced large polaron transport and dynamics in organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite with terahertz probes July 8th, 2022
Luisier wins SNSF Advanced Grant to develop simulation tools for nanoscale devices July 8th, 2022
Nanobiotechnology
Rice team eyes cells for sophisticated data storage: National Science Foundation backs effort to turn living cells into equivalent of computer RAM August 19th, 2022