DNA origami

William Shih draws inspiration from origami and jigsaw puzzles in his quest to build bigger DNA nanorobots.

In 2006, Paul Rothemund transformed the field of DNA nanotechnology when he unveiled an innovative approach for making shapes and patterns from genetic material.

By engineering structures out of DNA, scientists could potentially prevent larger viruses, like coronaviruses and influenza viruses, from interacting with cells.

Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com

Researchers use DNA origami to generate tiny mechanical devices that deliver a drug that cuts off the blood supply to tumors in mice.

The year’s most impressive achievements include new methods to extend CRISPR editing, patch-clamp neurons hands-free, and analyze the contents of live cells.

Three new strategies for using DNA to generate large, self-assembling shapes create everything from a nanoscale teddy bear to a nanoscale Mona Lisa.

Autonomous molecules that collect, carry, and sort different genetic packages usher in a new era for nucleic-acid robotics. 

New starring roles for nucleic acids

Meet some of the people featured in the July/August issue of The Scientist.

The versatility of geometric shapes made from the nucleic acid are proving useful in a wide variety of fields from molecular computation to biology to medicine.

Will complex, folded synthetic DNA molecules one day serve as capsules to deliver drugs to cancer cells?

Scientists build nanoscale mesh models of a rabbit and a human stick figure, among other things. 

Researchers create the largest 3-D DNA structures to date, many times bigger than previously constructed origami shapes.