Dresden 2009 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help
BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 20: DNA, RNA and Chromatin
BP 20.2: Talk
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 14:30–14:45, HÜL 186
Self-assembling DNA-caged particles: nanoblocks for hierarchical self-assembly — •Nicholas Licata1,2 and Alexei Tkachenko1 — 1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA — 2Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
DNA is an ideal candidate to organize matter on the nanoscale, primarily due to the specificity and complexity of DNA based interactions. Recent advances in this direction include the self-assembly of colloidal crystals using DNA grafted particles. In this talk we theoretically discuss the self-assembly of DNA-caged particles. These nanoblocks combine DNA grafted particles with more complicated purely DNA based constructs. Geometrically the nanoblock is a sphere (DNA grafted particle) inscribed inside a polyhedron (DNA cage). The faces of the DNA cage are open, and the edges are made from double stranded DNA. The cage vertices are modified DNA junctions. We calculate the equilibrium yield of self-assembled, tetrahedrally caged particles, and discuss their stability with respect to alternative structures. The experimental feasability of the method is discussed. To conclude we indicate the usefulness of DNA-caged particles as nanoblocks in a hierarchical self-assembly strategy.