Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Biophysics -- lighting up DNA-based nanostructures

Super-resolution microscopy. With DNA-PAINT it is possible to visualize all the strands in DNA nanostructures individually. Photo: Maximilian Strauss, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry.
Super-resolution microscopy. With DNA-PAINT it is possible to visualize all the strands in DNA nanostructures individually. Photo: Maximilian Strauss, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry.

Abstract:
The term 'DNA origami' refers to a method for the design and self-assembly of complex molecular structures with nanometer precision. The technique exploits the base-pairing interactions between single-stranded DNA molecules of known sequence to generate intricate three-dimensional nanostructures with predefined shapes in arbitrarily large numbers. The method has great potential for a wide range of applications in basic biological and biophysical research. Thus researchers are already using DNA origami to develop functional nanomachines. In this context, the ability to characterize the quality of the assembly process is vital. Now a team led by Ralf Jungmann, Professor of Experimental Physics at LMU Munich and Head of the Molecular Imaging and Bionanotechnology lab at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Martinsried), reports an important advance in this regard. In the online journal Nature Communications, he and his colleagues describe a mode of super-resolution microscopy that enables all the strands within these nanostructures to be visualized individually. This has allowed them to conclude that assembly proceeds in a robust fashion under a wide range of conditions, but that the probability that a given strand will be efficiently incorporated is dependent on the precise position of its target sequence in the growing structure.

Biophysics -- lighting up DNA-based nanostructures

Munich, Germany | Posted on April 25th, 2018

DNA origami structures are essentially assembled by allowing one long single-stranded DNA molecule (the 'scaffold' strand) to interact in a controlled, predefined manner with a set of shorter 'staple' strands. The latter bind to specific ('complementary') stretches of the scaffold strand, progressively folding it into the desired form. "In our case, the DNA strands self-assemble into a flat rectangular structure, which serves as the basic building block for many DNA origami-based studies at the moment," says Maximilian Strauss, joint first author of the new paper, together with Florian Schüder and Daniel Haas. With the aid of a super-resolution technique called DNA-PAINT, the researchers are able to visualize nanostructures with unprecedented spatial resolution, allowing them to image each of the strands in the nanostructures. "So we can now directly visualize all components of the origami structure and determine how well it put itself together," says Strauss.

As its name suggests, the DNA-PAINT technique itself also makes use of the specificity of DNA-DNA interactions. Here, short 'imager' strands linked to dye molecules that pair up with complementary sequences are used to identify sites that are accessible for binding. Imager strands interact transiently but repetitively with their target sites, which results in a "blinking" signal. "By comparing the information in the individual fluorescence images, we are able to attain a higher resolution, so that we can inspect the whole structure in detail," Strauss says. "This phenomenon can be understood as follows. Let's say we're looking at a house with two illuminated windows. Seen from a certain distance, it appears as if the light is coming from one source. However, one can readily distinguish between the positions of the two windows if the lights are alternately switched on and off." Hence, the method allows the researchers to determine the positions of the bound staple strands precisely, and the specific blinking signal emitted by imager strands reveals sites that are available for binding.

The results obtained with the DNA-PAINT method revealed that variations in several physical parameters - such as the overall speed of structure formation - have little influence on the overall quality of the assembly process. However, although its efficiency can be enhanced by the use of additional staple strands, not all strands were found in all of the nanoparticles formed, i.e. not all available sites were occupied in all of the final structures. "When assembling nanomachines it is therefore advisable that the individual components are added in large excess and the positions of the modifications chosen in accordance with our mapping of incorporation efficiency," Strauss says.

The DNA-PAINT method thus provides a means of optimizing the construction of DNA nanostructures. In addition, the authors believe that the technology has great potential in the field of quantitative structural biology, as it will allow researchers to measure important parameters such as the labelling efficiency of antibodies, cellular proteins and nucleic acids directly.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Luise Dirscherl

49-089-218-03423

Copyright © Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

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.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

RELATED JOURNAL ARTICLE:

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Imaging

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperature: Novel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers January 12th, 2024

The USTC realizes In situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using single nanodiamond sensors November 3rd, 2023

Observation of left and right at nanoscale with optical force October 6th, 2023

Cancer

University of Toronto researchers discover new lipid nanoparticle that shows muscle-specific mRNA delivery, reduces off-target effects: Study findings make significant contribution to generating tissue-specific ionizable lipids and prompts rethinking of mRNA vaccine design princi December 8th, 2023

Super-efficient laser light-induced detection of cancer cell-derived nanoparticles: Skipping ultracentrifugation, detection time reduced from hours to minutes! October 6th, 2023

Biophysics

First measurement of electron energy distributions, could enable sustainable energy technologies June 5th, 2020

Promising news from biomedicine: DNA origami more resilient than previously understood June 4th, 2018

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Molecular Machines

First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022

Nanotech scientists create world's smallest origami bird March 17th, 2021

Controlling the speed of enzyme motors brings biomedical applications of nanorobots closer: Recent advances in this field have made micro- and nanomotors promising devices for solving many biomedical problems October 13th, 2020

Giant nanomachine aids the immune system: Theoretical chemistry August 28th, 2020

Molecular Nanotechnology

Scientists push the boundaries of manipulating light at the submicroscopic level March 3rd, 2023

Scientist mimic nature to make nano particle metallic snowflakes: Scientists in New Zealand and Australia working at the level of atoms created something unexpected: tiny metallic snowflakes December 9th, 2022

First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022

Nanotech scientists create world's smallest origami bird March 17th, 2021

Nanomedicine

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Tools

First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperature: Novel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers January 12th, 2024

New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Ferroelectrically modulate the Fermi level of graphene oxide to enhance SERS response November 3rd, 2023

The USTC realizes In situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using single nanodiamond sensors November 3rd, 2023

Nanobiotechnology

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project