Substrate-assisted 2D DNA lattices and algorithmic lattices from single-stranded tiles

Area of Science:

• * Nanotechnology
• * Biomolecular Engineering
• * Materials Science

Background:

• * Kinetic traps hinder the self-assembly of many DNA nanostructures, limiting their scale and complexity.
• * Previous short, single-stranded tile (SST) DNA assemblies were restricted to 1D structures or small 2D canvases.
• * Overcoming these kinetic limitations is crucial for advancing DNA-based nanotechnology.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present a novel method for circumventing kinetic traps in DNA nanostructure self-assembly.
• * To demonstrate the creation of large-scale, periodic 2D DNA lattices using SST motifs.
• * To explore the potential for algorithmic self-assembly with engineered SSTs.

Main Methods:

• * Utilized substrate-assisted growth to design SSTs as unit cells for 2D lattice formation.
• * Developed periodic and aperiodic 2D lattices capable of continuous growth.
• * Engineered specific SST motifs to execute algorithmic functions (e.g., COPY, NOT).

Main Results:

• * Successfully fabricated large-scale (∼1 μm²) fully periodic 2D lattices using only 2 strand species.
• * Demonstrated continuous growth of 2D lattices along and orthogonal to the helical axis.
• * Created aperiodic 2D algorithmic SST lattices by encoding simple algorithms into the motifs.

Conclusions:

• * The presented method effectively circumvents kinetic traps, enabling the scalable production of 2D DNA lattices.
• * This approach facilitates the design of complex DNA nanostructures with programmable functions.
• * The methodology is broadly applicable to other motifs susceptible to kinetic traps, paving the way for novel DNA crystals.