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Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Developing Synthetic Cells from Programmable Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
Published on: May 31, 2024
Dynamic DNA superstructures with emergent functions
Daniel Duke1, Sierra Sterling2, Teng Teng3
1Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. gaurav.arya@duke.edu.
None:
DNA nanotechnology enables the precise construction of intricate nanoscale structures. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in incorporating dynamic functionalities into these nanostructures. Concurrently, innovative strategies have emerged for their self-assembly and surface patterning into larger, more complex architectures. This review explores the convergence of these two key capabilities-reconfigurability and hierarchical assembly-to engineer DNA origami superstructures with intrinsic dynamic behavior. We begin by outlining foundational strategies in dynamic design, hierarchical assembly, and surface placement, then review recent progress in leveraging these strategies to construct dynamic superstructures with emergent behaviors. The article concludes with a roadmap of major challenges and opportunities shaping the future of this rapidly evolving field.
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