CENTER FOR THE SCIENCE OF
SYNTHESIS ACROSS SCALES
Particle Assembly using Mobile DNA Bonds
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January 21, 2026
Assembly of lipid encapsulated silica nanoparticles using mobile DNA bonds is verified with small angle scattering and particle simulations
Scientific Achievement
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​Surface mobility of DNA bonds on particle surfaces allows for the formation of semi-crystalline assemblies, overriding the need of thermal annealing.
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​Significance and Impact
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High throughput experimentation and scattering characterization are used to identify optimal conditions that lead to DNA-mediated assemblies. AI-Driven high throughput simulations are used to model the assembly of the semi-crystalline assemblies.
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Research Details
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DNA modified with cholesterol groups are tethered to silica nanoparticles encapsulated in a lipid bilayer.
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To induce particle assembly, DNA ‘bridge’ complexes bond with the lipid-tethered DNA on particle surfaces.
H.T. Chiang, N. Kern, Z.R. Wylie, A. Moeez, H. Zhang, D. McKeen, N.S.M. Herringer, O. Gang, A.L. Ferguson, Z. Sherman, L.D. Pozzo, Soft Matter, (2025), 21, 9398-9411, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SM00924C
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Work performed at the University of Washington and used the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory