ABSTRACT
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2019, Jialuo Road, Shanghai 201800, China.
Emails: fangweina1989@163.com; 2011wangjianbang@sina.com * Corresponding author: liuhuajie@sinap.ac.cn
DNA has played an extraordinary, important role in life science since the establishment of Watson-Crick model. As the carrier of genetic information, DNA has long been considered as one of the most important biological substances. However, tracing back to its chemical essence, DNA is defi nitely a kind of macromolecules; it possesses many interesting properties, such as unique base-pairing, programmable sequence, various conformations and nanoscale-size (Seeman 2003). These extraordinary features precisely meet the requirements of the fast-growing science of materials. First, the nanosize-feature offers DNA inherent nano-addressability which can hardly be found from other materials. Second, the rigorous Watson-Crick base-pairing and programmable sequence-design abilities guarantee the robust and predictable self-assembly for the construction of nanostructures with expected geometries. Third, the ability of conformational exchange in response to external stimuli enables DNA as an ideal material for the building of prototype nano-mechanical devices. Fourth, the biological nature of DNA molecules bridges materials science with life science. Fifth, the well-established DNA synthesis technique makes DNA more and more convenient for materials scientists.
