Using DNA to Assemble Nanoscale Structures and Devices Bernard Yurke, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies

Two strands of DNA prefer to bind with each other if their base sequences are complementary.  This recognition property has made DNA a good medium with which to explore the self-assembly of complex nanostructures.  The free energy of hybridization can also be used to drive shape changes in such structures. Strand displacement via branch migration allows the shape changes to be repetitive.  I will illustrate these principles by describing a number of DNA based devices that have recently been constructed.