Dynamically Arranging Gold Nanoparticles on DNA Origami for Molecular Logic Gates

In molecular engineering, DNA molecules have been extensively studied owing to their capacity for accurate structural control and complex programmability. Recent studies have shown that the versatility and predictability of DNA origami make it an excellent platform for constructing nanodevices. In this study, we developed a strand-displacing strategy to selectively and dynamically release specific gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a rectangular DNA origami. A set of DNA logic gates ("OR", "AND", and "three-input majority gate") were established based on this strategy, in which computing results were identified by disassembly between the AuNPs and DNA origami. The computing results were detected using experimental approaches such as gel electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This method can be used to assemble more complex nanosystems and may have potential applications for molecular engineering.