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Exploiting DNA Origami to Build Superconducting Nanoarchitectures Written by AZoNanoJan 20 2021 The search for ever-smaller electronic components has made an international research group examine the use of molecular building blocks to develop them. (Left) Schematic illustration of a niobium nitrate-coated DNA nanowire suspended above a silicon nitride/silicon oxide channel. (Right) High-resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM) image of the channel (black in image) on which the DNA nanowire is suspended. In the image, the channel appears discontinuous, reflecting the DNA suspended acro...

Fold here for success Credit: Craftsci / Getty Images. DNA is a clever molecule that folds easily, so it can be used to act as scaffolds for nanomaterials. This involves long, single strands of DNA that have shorter strands to act as staples. Folded DNA shocked many science enthusiasts in 2006, when California Institute of Technology’s Paul Rothermund released images of a smiley face made out of DNA. The smiley face was thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. This technique has since been dubbed “DNA origami” because of how the DNA folds to make shapes and patterns.

In AIP Advances, researchers describe how to exploit DNA origami as a platform to build superconducting nanoarchitectures. The structures they built are addressable with nanometric precision that can be used as a template for 3D architectures that are not possible today via conventional fabrication techniques. Inspired by previous works using the DNA molecule as a template for superconducting nanowires, the group took advantage of a recent bioengineering advance known as DNA origami.