Materialistic Interfaces with Nucleic Acids: Principles and Their Impact

Abstract

Mendelian genetics spark the century‐old revolution in genetic engineering. DNA structural engineering may well spark a similar revolution in chemistry. The first few man‐made DNA structures are purely DNA but increased interest in hybrid DNA with other molecules is regaining popularity. Nucleic acids can interact with non‐nucleic acid‐based materials, showing their materialistic flexibility and potential and the prospect of forming new future materials. This review provides a deep materialistic background based on the interaction of nucleic acids with these non‐nucleic acid‐based materials covering comprehensive topics. The non‐nucleic acid materials are broadly divided into biological materials, for example, small‐biomolecules, peptides, proteins, and lipids, and non‐biological materials consisting of metal ions, chemical molecules, low‐dimensional nanomaterials, and micro‐scale polymers. Of significance, combining the unique properties of nucleic acids with these non‐genetic materials can bring about surprising synergistic characteristics and drive attractive applications in bio‐imaging, chem/bio‐sensing, disease therapies, antimicrobial works, and even information storage.

Strategies for Controlling the Spatial Orientation of Single Molecules Tethered on DNA Origami Templates Physisorbed on Glass Substrates: Intercalation and Stretching

“…All these efforts indicate that much remains to be learned about the DNA molecule [ 41 ], particularly when using it as a functional material for molecular organization, including orientational control. Nevertheless, towards achieving precise DNA nanoarchitectures [ 42 , 43 , 44 ], a physicochemical understanding of the environment combined with quantification of its impacts on the orientation of single molecules is required.…”

Photothermal Responsive Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction Resolving Exosomal microRNAs Expression in Liver Cancer

“…To be specific, 0.5 g SiO 2 @MoS 2 were evenly dispersed in the mixture of 20 mL ethanol and 1 mL stronger ammonia via 500 rpm mechanical stirring, while the entire synthetic steps were carried out by adding 300 µL of tetraethoxysilane at a rate of 10 drops per second and incubating for 1 h at 60 °C. Without this coating, MoS 2 adsorbed nucleic acid molecules due to the π–π stacking interactions, [ 43 ] resulting in failure of PCR amplification (Figure S2, Supporting Information). Once prepared, it is confirmed by electron microscope (Figure 3c–f) that a dozen of spherical NPs with uniform sizes were agglomerated and wrapped inside the thin nanofilms and then became larger with sizes of about 800–1100 nm after silica coatings, which were consistent with the polydispersity results in Figure 3g.…”

Cell-derived nanomaterials for biomedical applications

“…Cells have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to control and regulate the synthesis and assembly of nanoscale structures. These processes often involve the utilization of biological macromolecules, such as proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids, which act as building blocks or catalysts for the formation of NPs [ 4 , 5 ]. In the realm of animals, certain specialized cells, such as immune cells, have the ability to produce NPs as part of their defense mechanisms.…”