Physics Department - E14, TU Munich, Garching, Germany.
Methods Mol Biol. 2023;2639:257-274. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3028-0_15.
DNA nanotechnology provides efficient methods for the sequence-programmable construction of mechanical devices with nanoscale dimensions. The resulting nanomachines could serve as tools for the manipulation of macromolecules with similar functionalities as mechanical tools and machinery in the macroscopic world. In order to drive and control these machines and to perform specific tasks, a fast, reliable, and repeatable actuation mechanism is required that can work against external loads. Here we describe a highly effective method for actuating DNA structures using externally applied electric fields. To this end, electric fields are generated with controllable direction and amplitude inside a miniature electrophoresis device integrated with an epifluorescence microscope. With this setup, DNA-based nanoelectromechanical devices can be precisely controlled. As an example, we demonstrate how a DNA-based nanorobotic system can be used to dynamically position molecules on a molecular platform with high speeds and accuracy. The microscopy setup also described here allows simultaneous monitoring of a large number of nanorobotic arms in real time and at the single nanomachine level.
DNA 纳米技术为机械装置的序列可编程构建提供了有效的方法，这些机械装置具有纳米级的尺寸。这些纳米机器可以作为工具，用于操纵具有类似功能的大分子，就像宏观世界中的机械工具和机械一样。为了驱动和控制这些机器并执行特定任务，需要一种快速、可靠和可重复的致动机制，该机制能够抵抗外部负载。在这里，我们描述了一种使用外部施加的电场来驱动 DNA 结构的高效方法。为此，在与荧光显微镜集成的微型电泳设备内产生具有可控方向和幅度的电场。通过这种设置，可以精确控制基于 DNA 的纳米机电设备。例如，我们展示了如何使用基于 DNA 的纳米机器人系统以高速和高精度动态定位分子平台上的分子。这里描述的显微镜设置还允许同时实时和单纳米机器级别的监测大量纳米机器人臂。
