DNA-based assembly lines and nanofactories

Abstract

With the invention of the DNA origami technique, DNA self-assembly has reached a new level of sophistication. DNA can now be used to arrange molecules and other nanoscale components into almost arbitrary geometries-in two and even three dimensions and with nanometer precision. One exciting prospect is the realization of dynamic systems based on DNA, in which chemical reactions are precisely controlled by the spatial arrangement of components, ultimately resulting in nanoscale analogs of molecular assembly lines or 'nanofactories'. This review will discuss recent progress toward this goal, ranging from DNA-templated synthesis over artificial DNA-based enzyme cascades to first examples of 'molecular robots'.