Duke University researchers have developed a reusable DNA chip that can be used as a template to reproduce a large number of DNA building blocks, paving the way to produce preferred DNA strands rapidly and economically. The scientists have utilized the chip to synthesize DNA strands, which were then used for the fabrication of innovative nanostructures.
The research team has steadily built DNA strands having different compositions and lengths on the surface of a plastic chip by depositing tiny drops of chemicals over the chip using an inkjet printer. The team then harvested the DNA strands from the chip using a biological photocopying technique, whereupon it also discovered that the chip can be used to harvest numerous lots of DNA strands.
The researchers then “cooked” the released DNA material from the chip along with a long viral DNA piece. Ishtiaq Saaem, one of the researchers, stated that during the cooking process, the smaller DNA derived from the chip folded the viral DNA into the desired shape. One of the first DNA origami developed by the team was a rectangular form with a triangle affixed on one corner, which was called ‘nano-house’ by the team.
Saaem stated that the nanostructure can be utilized to orient inorganic and organic materials spatially, as a temporary platform for drug delivery, or function as a nano-ruler. In the short term, the research finds uses in the spatial alignment of biomolecules, including proteins, for research applications, and in the long-term, it may help in the advancement of information technology. The research team plans to extend their work to synthesize larger DNA strands and validate the reusability limit of its chip.
Source: http://www.aip.org