DNA origami involves the folding of ssDNA to create 2D and 3D objects at nanometer scale. Owing to its outstanding properties (programmability, stability, resilience, etc.), DNA origami is an ideal nanoscale platform adopted in various disciplines across chemistry, physics, electrical engineering, and biology fields. Therefore, investigation of mechanical properties of DNA-based structures at a nanometric scale is crucial for understanding the mechanical interaction of DNA with various materials. Some studies have reported the mechanical properties of DNA. However, none of the prior work has provided a comprehensive mechanical perspective on DNA-based structures and metallized DNA templates. In this project, direct quantitative measurements of the elastic properties of DNA-based nanostructures were carried out, with an indentation method by employing contact mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM). To further understand the elastic fluctuations of a set of DNA nanostructures, computer modelling was performed. The results show that increased layers of DNA origami nanostructures or their metallization greatly affected the behavior of DNA templates according Young's modulus, thus providing a more accurate picture of the inherent nanomechanical properties of DNA.

Investigation of nanomechanical properties of DNA-based nanostructures

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ACS Fall 2022

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