Mechanical Design of DNA Origami in the Classroom

DNA origami (DO) nanotechnology has strong potential for applications including molecular sensing, drug delivery, and nanorobotics that rely on nanoscale structural precision the ability to tune mechanical dynamic properties. Given these emerging applications, there is a need broaden access training DO concepts, which would also provide an avenue demonstrate engineering concepts such as kinematic motion deformation applied systems. However, broader use in educational settings hindered by excessive cost time of fabrication analysis. Compliant, or deformable, especially difficult design characterize cost-effective manner, because analysis often relies advanced imaging methods quantify structure conformations. Building recent work establishing classroom-ready analysis, we developed experiment module classroom implementation focused compliant hinge joint. The consists folding three distinct joint conformations can be evaluated via gel electrophoresis using portable equipment within ~120 min. To highlight design, present two beam-based models describing controls angle. We envision this interest DO.