DNA-based nanostructures

The two approaches are not unrelated and a complementary analysis of both kinds of studies would finally shed light onto the detailed mechanisms for charge migration along DNA wires [51]. The kinetic theories are reviewed in other chapters of this book. Here, we focus on results obtained for the electronic structure of extended DNA base stacks, and describe their influence on the electrical conductivity of DNA-based nanostructures. 

II. PROPERTIES OF DNA AND NATIVE NUCLEIC ACID-BASED NANOSTRUCTURES... 

To understand the extraordinary potential for DNA to be utilized as a material in construction processes, the general properties of this biomolecule will first be discussed. In addition, examples of naturally occurring nucleic acid-based nanostructures will be described that are of great importance both for cellular processes and conventional applications in molecular biotechnology. 

Sun, Y., Kiang, C.-H., 2005. DNA-based artificial nanostructures fabrication, properties,... 

Self-assembly is used to organize molecules into amazing and complex structures. Small molecular weight molecules can be assembled into structures of varying degrees from dimers and trimers all the way up to and including supramolecular polymers. Simple amphiphiles form micelles and vesicles. Dendrimers, DNA-based materials, peptides, and peptides amphiphiles have been assembled into nanostructured fibrals reminiscent of the extracellular matrix. Obviously, we cannot cover here even a fraction of the creative and functional assembled systems reported. In this section, we highlight selected symmetrical self-assembled systems to illustrate how different... 

Ziyatdinova G, Galandova J, Labuda J (2008) Impedimetric nanostructured disposable DNA-based biosensors for the detection of deep DNA damage and effect of antioxidants. Int J Electrochem Sci 3 223-235... 

Kuzyk, A., Schreiber, R., Fan, Z., Pardatscher, G., RoUer, E.M., Hogele, A., Simmel, F.C., Govorov, A.O., Liedl,T, 2012. DNA-based self-assembly of chiral plasmonic nanostructures with tailored optical response. Nature 483 (7389), 311-314. 

Most published work on the design and fabrication of nanostructures from biological macromolecules relate to DNA and proteins the use of other biopolymers, such as cyclodextrins [2], was far less developed. Because the use of DNA is intensively covered in Chapter 10 of this volume (also see Ref 3), as well as recently described by Seeman [4,5] this chapter will focus on proteins as a potential tool for the construction of nanostructures. Hence this chapter is focused on literature that may provide a basis for the identification of gnidelines, methodologies, and examples having potential for farther development of new protein-based composite nanostrnctnres integrating strnctnral and bioactive components. 

Several attempts were made to apply nanostructures made of DNA or proteins to the development of alternative computation or computer memory. The concept of DNA computing was developed as an alternative computation approach based on information and data stored as sequenced DNA nucleotides and DNA-specific hybridization and elongation as a means to reach the answer or solution to a problem. Available tools of molecular biology were employed to identify and analyze the results [66-68]. This multistage computation is based on the assumption that solutions can be sought in parallel, thus compensating for the relatively slow processing time. 

Patil, A.J., Li, M., Dujardin, E. and Mann, S. (2007) Novel bioinorganic nanostructures based on mesolamellar intercalation or single-molecule wrapping of DNA using organoday building blocks. Nano Letters (in Press). 

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