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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Combining QD-FRET and Microfluidics to Monitor DNA Nanocomplex Self-Assembly in Real-Time
Published on: August 26, 2009
DNA nanotechnology and fluorescence applications
Thomas Schlichthaerle1, Maximilian T Strauss1, Florian Schueder1
1Department of Physics and Center for Nanoscience, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80539 Munich, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried near Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
Structural DNA nanotechnology allow researchers to use the unique molecular recognition properties of DNA strands to construct nanoscale objects with almost arbitrary complexity in two and three dimensions. Abstracted as molecular breadboards, DNA nanostructures enable nanometer-precise placement of guest molecules such as proteins, fluorophores, or nanoparticles. These assemblies can be used to study biological phenomena with unprecedented control over number, spacing, and molecular identity. Here, we give a general introduction to structural DNA nanotechnology and more specifically discuss applications of DNA nanostructures in the field of fluorescence and plasmonics.
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