Nanotrnes based on DNA

2003/02/05 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Nanoteknologia
• Genetika

The research has been published by some biophysicists of the National Museum of Natural History of Paris. To achieve the goal they have used an extraordinary structure of DNA formed by four DNA filaments of a given sequence.

This structure is extended by adding another filament, which adopts a similar form to the traditional double helix. However, releasing this new strand of DNA, it returns to the initial measure.

A difference of 5-6 nanometers between both structures was observed using FRET spectroscopy (fluorescence resonance energy-transfer, "fluorescence resonance - energy transfer").

As the mentioned cycle occurs in a few seconds, this movement has been compared with the one made by the pistons in a cylinder.

From the point of view of nanotechnology, the objective is to control the structure of DNA from the sequences of bases, which allows to obtain new movements.

All research that considers this base has given a new impulse to nanotechnology based on biomolecules.