Designing with DNA: How Single and Double Stranded DNA Create Force and Structure

DNA, the molecule synonymous with life’s genetic code, holds a surprising secret: its structure isn’t just for information storage, it’s also a powerful tool for creating force and building intricate structures. By harnessing the unique properties of single and double-stranded DNA, scientists are venturing into a new frontier - DNA nanotechnology. The Building Blocks: Unpacking DNA’s Structure DNA is a double helix, a twisted ladder-like structure formed by two sugar-phosphate backbones linked by complementary nitrogenous base pairs. These pairs, adenine (A) with thymine (T) and guanine (G) with cytosine (C), are the foundation for DNA’s information storage. But the specific arrangement of these bases also dictates the molecule’s overall shape and flexibility.