Diffusive transport of molecular cargo tethered to a DNA origami platform

Fast and efficient transport of molecular cargoes along tracks or on supramolecular platforms is an important prerequisite for the development of future nanorobotic systems and assembly lines. Here, we study the diffusive transport of DNA cargo strands bound to a supramolecular DNA origami structure via an extended tether arm. For short distances (on the order of a few nanometers), transport from a start to a target site is found to be less efficient than for direct transfer without tether. For distances on the scale of the origami platform itself, however, cargo transfer mediated by a rigid tether arm occurs very fast and robust, whereas a more flexible, hinged tether is found to be considerably less efficient. Our results suggest diffusive motion on a molecular tether as a highly efficient mechanism for fast transfer of cargoes over long distances.