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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
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Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles
Published on: May 8, 2015
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Simulations of DNA-Origami Self-Assembly Reveal Design-Dependent Nucleation Barriers
Alexander Cumberworth1, Daan Frenkel2, Aleks Reinhardt2
1AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Nano Letters
|August 29, 2022
Summary
DNA origami assembly kinetics are influenced by nucleation barriers. Lower temperatures eliminate these barriers, optimizing assembly and enabling responsive molecular sensors.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Nanotechnology
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Nucleation is critical for self-assembly kinetics.
- The role of nucleation in DNA origami assembly remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate nucleation barriers in DNA origami self-assembly.
- Understand factors influencing nucleation barriers and their impact on assembly kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Monte Carlo simulations of a lattice model for DNA origami.
- Analysis of nucleation barrier height based on staple arrangement and coaxial stacking.
Main Results:
- Some DNA origami designs exhibit nucleation barriers, while others do not.
- Nucleation barriers decrease at lower temperatures, explaining isothermal assembly success.
- Coaxial stacking of adjacent staples on the same helix is a primary determinant of nucleation barrier height.
Conclusions:
- Nucleation barriers can be engineered in DNA origami for optimized assembly.
- Eliminating nucleation barriers enables rapid, hysteresis-free molecular sensors for environmental response.
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