Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
York University came out with a pioneering idea of using branched DNA molecules
to build a three-dimensional (3D) “artificial” crystal through designed sticky-end
cohesions [
1
]. Seeman has proposed several potential applications of his DNA
crystal, one of them was the inclusion of a guest molecule or a nano-sized object
into the crystalline DNA lattice [
1
,
2
]. For example, proteins that are difficult to
crystallize may be incorporated into the repeating unit of a three-dimensional DNA
crystal, following which a crystallographic study based on X-ray diffractometry
may be conducted. Seeman's first dream (to make a macroscopic three-dimensional
DNA crystal via programmable sticky-end cohesions) came true in 2009 after a
persisting research for over two and a half decades [
3
]. In the meantime, a lot of
theoretical and technical breakthroughs in this research field have been achieved.
So far, DNA nanotechnology has experienced an especially successful and fruitful
development and is rapidly entering the realms of chemistry, materials science,
biomedicine, and nanoelectronics and photonics, thanks to the efforts of so many
creative scientists who have shown great enthusiasms in pursuit of DNA's special
roles in their research objects. Some of the research works have been well-reviewed
in previously published topic chapters and review articles [
4
-
12
]. Here we try to give
an updated review of the most recent literatures on DNA-directed self-assembly of
nanophase materials, following our previous review of this field [
12
], with some
focus on the research work fulfilled in the authors' group.
8.2
Historical View of DNA-Programmable Nanomaterials
Programmable matter is a complex system of mutually coupled components that
serve cooperatively to configure themselves into arbitrary shapes with arbitrary
functions. Obviously, DNA is a very promising supramolecular material to achieve
a programmable matter based on in silico sequence design and in-solution base-
pairing assembly. A very challenging task in nanoscience is to build a structure
with nanometer resolution so that a correct understanding of structure-function rela-
tionship of a nanostructured material might be possible. In this regard, DNA offers
an excellent chance to build functioning nanophase materials from the bottom-up
through the massively parallel and highly programmable molecular self-assembly.
The core idea is to assemble DNA-conjugated nanoparticles along with other DNA
helper strands into a well-defined nanoparticle superstructure. Such a DNA-guided
assembly process is autonomous and designable, resulting in inorganic nanophase
materials with fully predictable structural orders. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)
have been the first and nowadays the most popular nano-objects adopted for
DNA-directed nanofabrications, benefiting from the easy synthesis, facile surface
modification, good chemical and colloidal stability, biocompatibility, and unique
surface plasmon resonance optics. Attachments of DNA on gold nanoparticles were
first attempted by Mirkin and Alivisatos et al. in their pioneering experiments
of using DNA hybridizations to direct the assembly of gold nanoparticles into
Search WWH ::
Custom Search