Abstract
Taking a step toward a nanoproduction line of the future, researchers in Germany have developed a DNA “robot arm” that can move cargo from one point to another (Science 2018, DOI: 10.1126/science.aao4284). The system relies on DNA origami structures, built from strands of DNA that self-assemble into predetermined shapes. The team created a 55-nm-wide DNA origami platform and a sturdy 25-nm-long bundle of DNA helices to form an arm. One end of the arm attaches to the platform by a flexible hinge of single-stranded DNA. The platform also sports several single-stranded DNA “latches” that can grab and hold the other end of the arm as it swings around. The team then loaded the robot arm with a gold nanorod as cargo. DNA is a highly charged molecule, so the researchers manipulated the arm by varying the voltage between four electrodes placed around the DNA device. This gave them macroscopic control
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