Cotranscriptionally folded RNA nanostructures pave the way to intracellular nanofabrication

A very attractive goal in nanotechnology is to manufacture smart nanodevices that integrate multiple biological/biomedical functions and autonomously function in vivo in a predefined and well-controlled manner. For decades, researchers have been developing many different ways toward this target, using bottom-up assembly of types of nanomaterials or top-down fabrication of devices with nanometer-scale precision. However, the practical application of these nanodevices remains challenging. One possible barrier lies in the spatiotemporal separation between fabrication and use, which poses a great challenge for the non-invasive delivery of fully functional nanodevice into live cells. Indeed, cells themselves are highly complex natural machines with membrane barriers and finely regulated pathways for intracellular delivery. However, there is plenty of evidence that nanomaterials or nanodevices are easily aggregated or trapped inside of the cells.