Programmable DNA Origami Nanorobot DNAFold Released: Constructing Arbitrary 3D Structures on Demand at the Molecular Scale

Programmable DNA Origami Nanorobot DNAFold Released: Constructing Arbitrary 3D Structures on Demand at the Molecular Scale

DNAFold, a DNA origami design platform jointly developed by Harvard University's Wyss Institute and Illumina, was published in Nature Nanotechnology on August 26, 2030. The platform can automatically generate corresponding DNA folding schemes based on user-specified three-dimensional shapes, completing nanostructure synthesis and assembly within hours.

DNA origami technology leverages the specificity of DNA base pairing to fold long-strand DNA into precise nanostructures. DNAFold's core innovation is the "reverse folding algorithm" — given a target 3D shape, the system automatically calculates the optimal DNA sequence and folding path, reducing design time from weeks to hours.

In a demonstration, the research team used DNAFold to construct an 80-nanometer-diameter spherical nanocapsule with 12 drug-loading pockets precisely arranged on its surface. In animal experiments, the nanocapsule successfully delivered anti-cancer drugs into tumor cells, with a release efficiency 3 times greater than traditional liposomes.

The Wyss Institute director said: "DNAFold transforms nanofabrication from an expert skill into an engineering tool. Any researcher can input the desired nanostructure on the platform, and the system automatically generates an executable DNA sequence."

DNAFold's online platform is now open for registration, with basic usage free of charge. The research team expects the technology to have far-reaching impact in drug delivery, molecular sensors, and nanoelectronics.