A new technique could make it easier to create DNA origami that would be used to deliver drug therapies and other innovative applications, researchers have found.
Producing intricate structures on the nano-scale is considered a pretty important scientific technique. On the horizon, DNA origami may one day be used to hunt cancer cells or act as robot assembly lines for the design of new drugs, according to Arizona State University.
But the design process is also extremely complex.
DNA Origami is not a hobby
In a study published Wednesday in Nature, researchers presented a new fast and easy technique, which they’ve developed thanks to a centuries-old math problem: the Seven Bridges of Königsberg.
Scientists Björn Högberg of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and his colleagues, have created a new algorithm with help from computer scientists which turned DNA origami into a highly automated design process. Researchers claim that it’s now as easy as rendering a complex shape using normal 3-D printing software.
Nano-structures: Researchers let their creativity flow
To prove this, they’ve shaped DNA bunnies and other funky forms. The work arguably presented the most versatile and streamlined design method, researchers said.
“Advanced computing methods are likely to be a key enabler in the scaling of DNA nanotechnology from fundamental studies towards groundbreaking applications”, said Professor Pekka Orponen, who directed the team at the Aalto University Computer Science Department.
If creating 3D nano-structures has reportedly become as easy as making larger ones, printing them out is still a challenge and entry-barrier. For now, this group of scientists is publishing the code for the algorithm in the hopes of helping other labs produce these complex structures more quickly and efficiently, the Washington Post reported.
Other innovative design techniques
According to a recent report published by Arizona State University (ASU), “DNA, the molecular foundation of life” has other “new tricks up its sleeve”.
Hao Yan, a researcher at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, in a new research, has unveiled a variety of innovative nano-forms displaying unprecedented design control.
According to ASU, refinements of the DNA origami technique have opened the door to a range of exciting applications, which could change how we treat diseases and deliver drugs in the future. The particular technique of DNA origami, promises to bring futuristic microelectronics and biomedical innovations to the market.
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