Single molecule fluorescence investigations of DNA-based self-assembledstructures

Abstract

DNA can fold into a number of secondary structures that play a role in the regulation of gene expression [1]. It can also be harnessed as a building block in the field of DNA nanotechnology to create both static and dynamic DNA structures of all shapes with sizes ranging from a few to several hundreds of nanometers [2]. Owing to their phenomenal addressability, these DNA nanostructures are attractive platforms for organizing matter at the molecular level and provide high flexibility for positioning fluorescent molecules.