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DNA Origami Folds Itself into the Mona Lisa
Some people paint with oil while others draw with pencil, but not many artists out there are re-creating masterpieces like the scientists at the California Institute of Technology. Researchers used DNA nanotechnology, dubbed DNA origami, to create the world’s tiniest rendition of Leonardo da Vinci’s eminent Mona Lisa masterpiece, which spans .000028 inches wide.
Paul Rothemund pioneered DNA origami technology in 2006, and the technology has been useful in mimicking how nature’s processes occur, like photosynthesis. DNA’s strands consist of four nucleotides, which become a double strand when A’s bond with T’s and C’s with G’s. Knowing how these pair up has allowed scientists to create “puzzle” pieces and mix together longer strands to combine with shorter strands in test tubes. This ensures that the DNA will fold itself properly to create the intended design.
The team put together each tile in stages so that the DNA would fold into the Mona Lisa image, a process they’ve called “fractal assembly.” Any guesses as to what could be designed next?
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