Automated Synthesis of Wireframe DNA Nanotubes

DNA nanotechnology has revolutionized our ability to position matter at the nanoscale, but the preparation of DNA-based architectures remains laborious. To facilitate the formation of custom structures, we report a fully automated method to produce sequence- and size-defined DNA nanotubes. By programming the sequential addition of desired building blocks, rigid DX-tile-based DNA nanotubes (and flexible wireframe DNA structures) are attained, where the total number of possible constructs increases as a power function of the number of different units available. Using single-molecule fluorescence imaging, the kinetics and yield of each synthetic step can be quantitatively determined, revealing differences in self-assembly dynamics as the nanotube is built up from the solid support and providing new insights into DNA self-assembly. The exploitation of automation for both assembly and analysis (tthrough an ad-hoc developed K-means clustering algorithm) facilitates a workflow wherein the synthesis parameters may be iteratively improved upon, demonstrating how a single-molecule assembly-analysis-optimization sequence can be used to generate complex, non-covalent materials in good yield. The presented synthetic strategy is generalizable, making use of equipment already available in most standard laboratories and represents the first fully automated supramolecular assembly on a solid support.