Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 76, Number 4, November 2006
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 616 - 622 | |
Section | Condensed matter: structural, mechanical and thermal properties | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2006-10302-7 | |
Published online | 25 October 2006 |
DNA-origami technique for olympic gels
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University Long Beach Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
Received:
20
July
2006
Accepted:
18
September
2006
Taking advantage of the specific base-pairing interaction of DNA, I propose a robust method for creating melt topological or “olympic” gels. Flexible polymers which have been end-decorated with complimentary base-pair sequences will undergo end-closing reactions with either themselves (forming loops) or with neighboring chains (creating linear, but lengthened chains). The loop-forming or chain-forming process can be controlled by how many distinct ligand pairs occur in the system. A gel formed of these interlocking rings will display a sensitivity to dissolve when brought into contact with a large concentration of DNA fragments, thus giving a biologically-specific trigger for drug delivery by olympic microgels.
PACS: 61.82.Pv – Polymers, organic compounds / 81.16.Fg – Supramolecular and biochemical assembly / 87.14.Gg – DNA, RNA
© EDP Sciences, 2006
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