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Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids

Nucleic acids are the most important macromolecules for the continuity of life. They carry the cell's genetic blueprint and carry instructions for its functioning.
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...

Nucleic Acid Structure

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...

Lagging Strand Synthesis

Lagging Strand Synthesis

During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...

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Updated: Dec 30, 2025

DNA Origami-Mediated Substrate Nanopatterning of Inorganic Structures for Sensing Applications

DNA Origami-Mediated Substrate Nanopatterning of Inorganic Structures for Sensing Applications

Published on: September 27, 2019

Near-Atomic Fabrication with Nucleic Acids.

Kai Xia¹, Jianlei Shen², Qian Li²

¹Center for Medical Research and Innovation, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences , Fudan University , Shanghai 200032 , China.

|January 25, 2020

Summary

Advanced sequence design and chemical synthesis enable DNA/RNA nanotechnology for precise bottom-up construction of nanostructures. This review covers recent advances in nucleic acid fabrication, design tools, and applications.

Keywords:

DNA bricks DNA nanotechnology RNA nanotechnology blunt-end stacking hierarchical assembly scaffolded origami single-stranded origami topology

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Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: December 3, 2015

Area of Science:

Nanotechnology
Molecular Engineering
Biochemistry

Background:

Nucleic acids offer programmable self-assembly for bottom-up nanostructure construction.
Advances in sequence design and chemical synthesis fuel structural DNA/RNA nanotechnology.
Existing methods allow for precise control over size, geometry, and distribution of nano-objects.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent progress in nucleic acid-based near-atomic fabrication.
To highlight state-of-the-art design techniques and toolkits for nanoengineering.
To discuss applications of DNA/RNA assemblies in various fields.

Main Methods:

Review of recent scientific literature on nucleic acid nanotechnology.
Focus on advanced sequence design principles.
Analysis of chemical synthesis maturation for DNA/RNA construction.
Examination of toolkits for DNA/RNA nanoengineering.

Main Results:

Diverse nucleic acid-based nano objects and patterns have been created with near-atomic resolution.
Controllable sizes and geometries of nanostructures are achievable.
DNA/RNA assemblies demonstrate monodispersed distribution, scalability, and material-carrying capabilities.

Conclusions:

Nucleic acid nanotechnology has rapidly advanced due to improved design and synthesis.
DNA/RNA assemblies offer unique advantages for molecular engineering and nanodevice fabrication.
The field shows significant potential for diverse applications through precise nanoscale construction.