Condon Anne
The Department of Computer Science, 2366 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Nat Rev Genet. 2006 Jul;7(7):565-75. doi: 10.1038/nrg1892. Epub 2006 Jun 13.
Long admired for its informational role in the cell, DNA is now emerging as an ideal molecule for molecular nanotechnology. Biologists and biochemists have discovered DNA sequences and structures with new functional properties, which are able to prevent the expression of harmful genes or detect macromolecules at low concentrations. Physical and computational scientists can design rigid DNA structures that serve as scaffolds for the organization of matter at the molecular scale, and can build simple DNA-computing devices, diagnostic machines and DNA motors. The integration of biological and engineering advances offers great potential for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, and for nanoscale electronic engineering.
长期以来，DNA因其在细胞中的信息传递作用而备受赞誉，如今它正成为分子纳米技术的理想分子。生物学家和生物化学家发现了具有新功能特性的DNA序列和结构，这些特性能够阻止有害基因的表达或检测低浓度的大分子。物理和计算科学家能够设计出刚性的DNA结构，作为分子尺度上物质组织的支架，并能制造出简单的DNA计算设备、诊断机器和DNA马达。生物学和工程学进展的融合为治疗和诊断应用以及纳米级电子工程提供了巨大潜力。
