Researchers from Caltech created this nanoscale "map" of the Americas out of strands of DNA. The map measures a few hundred nanometers across. By comparison, a human is hair is about 100,000 nanometers in diameter. The work was published in the scientific journal Nature. From News@Nature:
(The map) is the biggest and most elaborate nanoscale object created in the lab so far.Yet its cartographer, Paul Rothemund from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, is not satisfied. "I had wanted to make a map of the entire world, but I didn't have enough time," he says. "I feel terrible about it."
Rothemund has invented what he calls 'DNA origami', a method for building just about any two-dimensional pattern out of DNA molecules. His portfolio includes smiley faces, triangles, snowflakes and flowers.
Each item takes a month to plan and a few hours to make. All are made of a standard, single strand of viral DNA folded back and forth over rows of double helices in a template shape. The shape is maintained by DNA 'staples' – specially designed short strands – that stop the viral strand from unravelling.
"This is just artwork," says Rothemund, "but we have faith that if we master the ability to make shapes out of DNA, we will be able to make useful things with them. And it teaches us a lot about DNA structure along the way."
