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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly
Published on: February 6, 2020
An information-bearing seed for nucleating algorithmic self-assembly.
Robert D Barish1, Rebecca Schulman, Paul W K Rothemund
1California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Researchers developed programmable DNA origami seeds to reliably control the growth of complex DNA crystals. These seeds enhance the yield and precision of algorithmic self-assembly, paving the way for advanced bottom-up fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Self-assembly is a fundamental process in nature, creating complex structures from simple components.
- Algorithmic self-assembly using DNA tiles offers a route to programmable fabrication, but has been limited by unreliable nucleation.
- Programmable seeds are crucial for directing the specific outcomes of self-assembly processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a programmable DNA origami seed for nucleating algorithmic self-assembly.
- To demonstrate the seed's ability to control the growth of diverse DNA crystal structures.
- To improve the reliability and yield of algorithmic crystal formation.
Main Methods:
- Design and synthesis of a DNA origami seed with up to 32 distinct binding sites.
- Utilizing the seed to direct the self-assembly of DNA tiles into crystalline ribbons of specific widths.
- Employing the seed to initiate layer-by-layer binary string copying and binary counting patterns.
- Conducting one-pot annealing reactions with up to 300 DNA strands (>17 kb sequence information).
Main Results:
- The DNA origami seed successfully directed the assembly of DNA crystals with >90% yield for specific ribbon widths.
- Near-optimal growth conditions with the seed resulted in a bit copying error rate <0.2%.
- The seed precisely controlled the initial string and counter values for complex patterns.
Conclusions:
- Programmable DNA origami seeds overcome limitations in algorithmic self-assembly reliability and yield.
- These seeds enable precise control over crystal structure, width, and information encoding.
- This work presents a significant advancement in programmable bottom-up fabrication using DNA self-assembly.

