Probabilistic models for damage and self-repair in DNA self-assembly

Abstract

To date, research on DNA self-assembly-based nanostructures has mostly been on one-time assembly. However, DNA nanostructures are very fragile and prone to damage. Knowing the extent of damage that can occur under various physical conditions can be useful in designing robust self-assembled nanostructures. This paper presents simple models for estimating the extent of damage in DNA nanostructures due to various external forces, with emphasis on mechanical and thermal forces. We note that these models have not been validated against experimental data. As such, they are only meant to serve as a basis for designing DNA nanostructures that are robust to external damage. We conclude with a discussion on computing the probability of repair of a damaged nanostructure assuming no change in the design of the self-assembling components.