Download video Transcript View all New J. Phys. video abstracts Scaffolded DNA origami are a robust tool for building discrete nanoscale objects at high yield. This strategy ensures, in the design process, that the desired nanostructure is the minimum free energy state for the designed set of DNA sequences. Despite aiming for the minimum free energy structure, the folding process which leads to that conformation is difficult to characterize, although it has been the subject of much research. In order to shed light on the molecular folding pathways, this study intentionally frustrates the folding process of these systems by simultaneously annealing the staple pools for multiple target or parent origami structures, forcing competition. A surprising result of these competitive, simultaneous anneals is the formation of chimeric DNA origami which inherit structural regions from both parent origami. By comparing the regions inherited from the parent origami, relative stability of substructures were compared. This allowed examination of the folding process with typical characterization techniques and materials. Anneal curves were then used as a means to rapidly generate a phase diagram of anticipated behavior as a function of staple excess and parent staple ratio. This initial study shows that competitive anneals provide an exciting way to create diverse new nanostructures and may be used to examine the relative stability of various structural motifs.
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机译：下载视频抄本查看全部New J. Phys。视频摘要支架式DNA折纸是用于以高产量构建离散的纳米级物体的强大工具。在设计过程中，该策略可确保所需的纳米结构是所设计的DNA序列组的最小自由能状态。尽管其目标是最小化自由能结构，但导致其构象的折叠过程却难以表征，尽管它一直是许多研究的主题。为了阐明分子的折叠路径，本研究通过同时退火多个目标或父折纸结构的钉书钉池，从而迫使竞争，从而有意挫败这些系统的折叠过程。这些竞争性，同时退火的令人惊讶的结果是嵌合DNA折纸的形成，其从两个亲本折纸继承了结构区域。通过比较从原始折纸继承的区域，比较了子结构的相对稳定性。这样就可以使用典型的表征技术和材料检查折叠过程。然后将退火曲线用作快速生成预期行为的相图的方式，该相图是订书钉过量和母订书钉比率的函数。这项初步研究表明，竞争性退火提供了一种激动人心的方式来创建各种新的纳米结构，并可用于检查各种结构图案的相对稳定性。
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