ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the uniqueness, versatility, and potential of ribonucleic acid (RNA) to be a successful candidate for nanotechnology. An important thing to remember representations of RNA structures is that they are almost always illustrated as two-dimensional representations for the sake of simplicity. Creative use of these hybrid complexes will help define the future of RNA nanotechnology. The effect of trans interactions on RNA structure is often not considered. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been viewed through the nanotechnology lens for far longer than RNA, but it is only recently that much of this research has come to fruition. DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are the primary means of data storage and transportation within the cell. RNA structural hierarchy starts with the basic nucleotide sequence called the primary structure with the major difference from DNA being the replacement of thy-mine with uracil. The secondary structure usually involves the complementary binding of base pairs in a two-dimensional form.