<h2>X&#8217;s and O&#8217;s</h2>
The world&#8217;s smallest game of tic-tac-toe could have a big impact on the future of nanotechnology.
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/researchers-make-worlds-smallest-tic-tac-toe-game-board-dna-84691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new technique</a> for shaping structures out of strands of DNA, a process known as DNA origami. Unlike previous techniques, which effectively locked a structure in place once created, the researchers could reshape an already-constructed DNA structure using this new technique.
To demonstrate the powerful new technique, they used it to play game of tic-tac-toe using a DNA board. Because of course they did.
<h2>A&#8217;s, T&#8217;s, C&#8217;s, and G&#8217;s</h2>
DNA origami takes advantage of the natural tendency of DNA molecules, or bases, to pair up with one another. Each base — A, T, C, and G — pairs with another of the bases: A and T are a team, as are C and G.
Strands of DNA pair up based on these matches — a strand with a molecule sequence ATTGCGA, for example, pairs perfectly with a TAACGCT strand — and researchers can create shapes out of DNA simply by manipulating the sequences of the letters.
But DNA strands can pair up partially, too. The Caltech team provides a <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/researchers-make-worlds-smallest-tic-tac-toe-game-board-dna-84691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">somewhat depressing analogy</a> of this based on dating people most similar to you, but the basic gist of it is that a strand will &#8220;dump&#8221; a strand that&#8217;s a partial match (for example, one where five out of eight bases are pairs) for one that&#8217;s a better match (one where six out of eight bases are pairs). This replacement of one so-so match for a better match is called &#8220;strand displacement.&#8221;
<h2>Perfect Match</h2>
In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07805-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper</a> published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, the Caltech researchers describe how they combined strand displacement with a DNA origami technology called self-assembling tiles. That involves the creation of square-shaped tiles of DNA designed to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle.
To demonstrate their new DNA origami technique, the researcher put nine blank DNA tiles designed to form a three-by-three grid into a test tube. Once the tiles assembled, the researchers took turns adding X or O tiles to the test tube.
The researchers designed those tiles to replace specific blank tiles in the grid using strand displacement — the new tile was simply a better match in the chosen spot than the blank tile.
<h2>Tiniest Winner</h2>
The game took six days, with player X emerging as the winner. But the research was about far more than just a game of tic-tac-toe.
The ability to reshape DNA structures could prove immensely useful in the future, as scientists are already exploring ways to use DNA origami to <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-folds-origami-applications-drug-delivering-nanobots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deliver drugs</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/nanobots-made-of-dna-can-now-carry-and-sort-molecular-cargo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sort molecular cargo.</a>
&#8220;When you get a flat tire, you will likely just replace it instead of buying a new car. Such a manual repair is not possible for nanoscale machines,&#8221; researcher Grigory Tikhomirov said in a <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/researchers-make-worlds-smallest-tic-tac-toe-game-board-dna-84691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;But with this tile displacement process we discovered, it becomes possible to replace and upgrade multiple parts of engineered nanoscale machines to make them more efficient and sophisticated.&#8221;
Good game, Caltech.
READ MORE: <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/researchers-make-worlds-smallest-tic-tac-toe-game-board-dna-84691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Researchers Make World&#8217;s Smallest Tic-Tac-Toe Game Board With DNA</a> [Caltech]
More on DNA origami: <a href="https://futurism.com/nanobots-made-of-dna-can-now-carry-and-sort-molecular-cargo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nanobots Made of DNA Can Now Carry and Sort Molecular Cargo</a>

Game On

They used the game to demonstrate a new DNA origami technique.

Scientists Used DNA to Play the Tiniest Game of Tic-Tac-Toe Ever

OOPS! SORRY, SQUID. When researchers want to study fish and crustaceans, it&#8217;s pretty easy to collect a sample — tow a net behind a boat and you&#8217;re bound to capture a few. But collecting delicate deep-sea organisms such as squid and jellyfish isn&#8217;t so simple — the nets can literally shred the creatures&#8217; bodies.
Now, Zhi Ern Teoh, a mechanical engineer from Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory, and his colleagues have developed a better way for scientists to collect these elusive organisms. They published <a href="http://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/3/20/eaat5276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their research</a> in Science Robotics on Wednesday.
<figure id="attachment_134544" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134544" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="wp-image-134544 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/07/teoh6HR-1200x900.jpeg" alt="" width="1200" height="900" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134544" class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/jrnls/scirobotics/pages/2018-07/teoh-07-18-18.php">Wyss Institute at Harvard University</a></figcaption></figure>
THE OLD WAY. Currently, researchers who want to collect delicate marine life have two ways to do it (that aren&#8217;t nets). The first is a <a href="https://www.mbari.org/detritus-sampler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detritus sampler</a>, a tube-shaped device with round &#8220;doors&#8221; on either end. To capture a creature with this device, the operator must slide open the doors, manually position the tube over the creature, then quickly shut the doors before the creature escapes. According to the researchers&#8217; paper, this positioning requires the operator to have a bit of skill. The second type of device is one that uses suction to pull a specimen through a tube into a storage bucket. This process can destroy delicate creatures.
THE BETTER WAY. To create a device that is both easy to use and unlikely to harm a specimen, Teoh looked to <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-folds-origami-applications-drug-delivering-nanobots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">origami</a>, the Japanese art of paper folding. He came up with device with a body made of 3D-printed photopolymer and modeled after a dodecahedron, a shape with 12 identical flat faces. If you&#8217;ve ever played a board game with a 12-sided die, you&#8217;re already familiar with the shape of the device in the closed position; when open, it looks somewhat like a flat starfish.
The device was tested up to 700 meters&#8217; depth, but it&#8217;s designed to withstand pressure of &#8220;full ocean depth,&#8221; the researchers write (11 kilometers, or 6.8 miles deep).Despite the large number of joints, Teoh&#8217;s device can open or close in a single motion using the power of just a single rotational actuator, a motor that converts energy into a rotational force. Once the open device is in position right behind a specimen, the operator simply triggers the actuator, and the 12 sides of the dodecahedron fold around the creature and the water it&#8217;s in, though it doesn&#8217;t seal tightly enough to carry that water above the surface.
Eventually, the researchers hope to update the device to include built-in cameras and touch sensors. They also think it has the potential to be useful for space missions, helping with off-world construction, but for now, they&#8217;re focused on collecting marine life without destroying it in the process.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/277539747?app_id=122963" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" title="RAD Sampler: Rotary-actuated device for investigating delicate marine organisms" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
READ MORE: <a href="http://robotics.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.aat5276" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotary-Actuated Folding Polyhedrons for Midwater Investigation of Delicate Marine Organisms</a> [Science Robotics]
More on self-folding technology: <a href="https://futurism.com/?p=134428" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA That Folds Like Origami Has Applications for Drug-Delivering Nanobots</a>

It simply folds around jellyfish, squid, and other delicate organisms.

Origami-Inspired Device Catches Fragile Sea Creatures Without Harming Them

<h2>Tiny Bots, Big Potential</h2>
In a major breakthrough for the field of nanomedicine, researchers have developed <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180212112000.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tiny autonomous robots</a> that can shrink cancer tumors by cutting off their blood supply.
Using a technique known as <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-folds-origami-applications-drug-delivering-nanobots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA origami</a>, scientists from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona State University (ASU)</a> and China&#8217;s <a href="http://english.nanoctr.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST)</a> programmed tiny robots to carry payloads of a blood-clotting enzyme called thrombin to tumor-associated blood vessels in mice. Once the nanobots reached the surface of those blood vessels, they sent the thrombin to the heart of the tumor.
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According to the team&#8217;s study, which was <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in Nature Biotechnology</a>, the nanobots blocked the tumor&#8217;s blood supply and caused damage to its tissue within 24 hours of treatment. Two days post-treatment, the researchers saw evidence of advanced thrombosis, and after three days, they noted thrombi in all tumor vessels.
<h2>A Targeted Approach</h2>
Unlike chemotherapy, which takes something of a scorched-earth approach to fighting cancer, these nanobots are far more targeted in their attack thanks to something called a DNA aptamer.
This special payload on each bot&#8217;s surface directs it toward a protein called nucleolin, which is only generated in large amounts on the surface of tumor endothelial cells. Because it isn&#8217;t found on the surface of healthy cells, the nanobots pass right by them.
This is an extremely important aspect of this experiment because thrombin could be dangerous if delivered elsewhere in the body. For example, it could cause a patient to have a stroke if released in their brain.
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So far, the researchers have only tested their nanobots in mice and Bama miniature pigs, but in both cases, the bots proved to be safe and effective at shrinking tumors. Now, the researchers are looking for clinical partners to help them take their technology to the next level.
Eventually, these nanobots could be used to target a variety of cancers, all without causing damage to a patient&#8217;s healthy cells.

And they do so without affecting healthy cells.

New Nanobots Kill Cancerous Tumors by Cutting off Their Blood Supply

<h2>Cutting Off Blood Supply</h2>
How to kill cancerous tumors is a problem that researchers around the globe are trying to solve, with limited success. Now, an international group of scientists is trying a new technique to destroy tumors — using nanobots to limit tumors&#8217; blood supply, effectively starving them out.
In a recent <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4071">study published in Nature Biotechnology</a>, scientists from Arizona State University (ASU) and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrated how effective these nanorobots were at addressing tumor growth. The mini robots were able to cut-off the blood supply to breast cancer, melanoma, ovarian and lung cancer tumors in mice. After just two weeks of treatment, the researchers reported that the tumor tissue was shrinking.
<figure id="attachment_122614" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-122614" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-122614 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/02/162626_web-1200x758.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="758" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-122614" class="wp-caption-text">These nanorobots target cancerous cells. Source: Jason Drees, Arizona State University.</figcaption></figure>
Hao Yan, director of the ASU Biodesign Institute&#8217;s Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/asu-cnp020818.php">explained in a press release</a>, &#8220;We have developed the first fully autonomous, DNA robotic system for a very precise drug design and targeted cancer therapy.&#8221; He continued, &#8220;Moreover, this technology is a strategy that can be used for many types of cancer, since all solid tumor-feeding blood vessels are essentially the same.&#8221;
<h2>DNA Origami</h2>
These robots <a href="https://cen.acs.org/articles/95/web/2017/12/DNA-origami-hits-big-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were inspired by origami</a>, the Japanese art of paper folding. This isn&#8217;t the first origami-inspired technology. Origami has inspired <a href="https://futurism.com/origami-inspired-spacecraft-will-someday-unfurl-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">everything from spacecraft </a>to <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/the-lightweight-origami-shield-that-stops-bullets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shields</a>, and <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-folds-origami-applications-drug-delivering-nanobots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA origami</a> — creating different shapes one thousand times smaller than a human hair using DNA strands — is an emerging field that could revolutionize drug delivery and treatment. Each of these tumor-targeting nanorobots is made up of a flat DNA origami sheet only 90 nanometers by 60 nanometers in size. The sheet is saddled with an enzyme that makes clots in the blood vessels that feed the tumor.
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This new technology eliminates previous issues that scientists faced with trying to create tumor-killing nanorobots. Previous attempts were not as successful at destroying tumors without harming healthy tissues and cells. So instead of going directly after tumors, this research team simply sought to cut-off the tumors&#8217; blood supply. By &#8220;starving&#8221; the tumors, they can shrink and kill them without going on the offensive and potentially harming healthy cells in the process.
Not only do these robots starve the tumors, but they safely shrink them too. &#8220;These nanorobots can be programmed to transport molecular payloads and cause on-site tumor blood supply blockages, which can lead to tissue death and shrink the tumor,&#8221; said Baoquan Ding, a professor at the NCNST, in the press release.
While the field of nanomedicine is growing, there are still many hurdles to cross before nanorobots are used in human clinical trials. But the results of this new study are promising — Yan and the research team are now hoping to pursue clinical testing. If they succeed, it would break new ground in the field. From treating tumors to delivering medicine to specific areas in the body, the future would look brighter with nanorobots in it.

Unlike other tumor treatments, these robots don't harm surrounding healthy cells.

Robots Smaller Than a Human Hair Can Starve and Shrink Cancerous Tumors

<h2>DNA Origami</h2>
In 1953, a pair of scientists named <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/watson-and-crick-discover-chemical-structure-of-dna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick</a> — with help from the data supplied by the research of another scientist, <a href="http://www.dnaftb.org/19/bio-3.html">Rosalind Franklin</a>, — successfully modeled the structure of DNA for the first time. Since then, whenever we think of DNA, we usually imagine the double helix-shaped, ladder-like structure that Franklin, Watson, and Crick described.
However, we now know that this classic configuration is not the only way DNA can be structured. In fact, scientists have taken to folding DNA into new forms — a technique they&#8217;ve dubbed &#8220;DNA Origami.&#8221; As the name implies, DNA Origami scientists have created several different shapes using DNA strands, including hearts, triangles, and even the smiley face emoji.
A team of scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) and Harvard University (HU) took DNA Origami to the next level and <a href="https://asunow.asu.edu/20171214-discoveries-dna-origami-asu-nanotechnology-hao-yan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are now creating &#8220;single-stranded origami&#8221; (ssOrigami) shapes</a> using one long, spaghetti noodle-like strand of DNA. The strand is capable of self-folding multiple times without forming a single knot and marks a significant advancement in DNA nanotechnology.
<figure style="width: 781px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-115476 size-large aligncenter" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/12/screen_shot_2017-12-11_at_6.17.11_pm.png" alt="DNA Origami in the shapes of a heart (left) and a rhombus (right). Image Credit: ASU Biodesign Institute" width="781" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">DNA Origami in the shapes of a heart (left) and a rhombus (right). Image Credit: ASU Biodesign Institute</figcaption></figure>
DNA isn&#8217;t the only molecule scientists have accomplished the feat with, as RNA can be used as well. Previously, there were only two ways to make DNA/RNA structures with limited sizes: the first involved using molecular brick; smaller and much shorter strands of DNA that could be folded together. The second was scaffolded DNA, which required the use of a secondary helper DNA strand to securely fit the primary DNA into place.
&#8220;The key innovation of our study is to use DNA and RNA to construct a structurally complex yet knot-free structure that can be folded smoothly from a single strand,&#8221; said <a href="https://biodesign.asu.edu/hao-yan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hao Yan</a>, co-inventor of the technology and director of the ASU Biodesign Institute&#8217;s Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics. &#8220;This gave us a design strategy to allow us to fold one long strand into complex architecture.&#8221;
Once the team was able to understand how RNA makes structures, they proceeded to develop a fully programmable single-stranded origami architecture. Using newly made algorithm and user-friendly software tool, they made a series of DNA Origami structures: four rhombuses and two heart shapes.
<h2>New Forms of Nanomedicine</h2>
Yan explains that he sees the new development as a new opportunity for synthetic biology that is ready to be taken advantage of. The efforts of Yan and his team may one day lead to the design and production of nanobots capable of delivering drugs within cells to the site of injuries, which is <a href="https://futurism.com/organic-microbots-change-medicine-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar to an idea that&#8217;s already being explored</a> to remove cancer cells.
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Best of all, the single strand DNA used to make DNA Origami can be produced inside of living cells. The team demonstrated this by inserting the DNA into a plasmid that had previously been placed within the cells of the bacteria E. coli.
&#8220;Because plasmid DNA can be easily replicated in E. coli, the production can be scaled up by growing a large volume of E. coli cells with low cost,&#8221; Yan explained. Single strand DNA can also be made from scratch in laboratories, though that process would be more costly.
Going forward, there&#8217;s potential to make the ssOrigami structures within the cells, forgoing the need to produce single strand DNA beforehand. According to Yan, the best situation would be an RNA sequence designed to be transcribed inside the bacteria. While inside, the RNA strand would self-fold and create the origami shape. From there, the bacteria could be used as a factory to produce more DNA and RNA structures.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve really scaled up the complexity while scaling down the costs,&#8221; concluded Yan. &#8220;This study significantly expands the design space and scalability for bottom-up nanotechnology, and opens the door for health applications.&#8221;

"We are actively looking at the first nanomedicine applications with our ssOrigami technology."

DNA That Folds Like Origami Has Applications for Drug-Delivering Nanobots

<h2>Robots Made of DNA</h2>
Scientists are increasingly using DNA to build structures at the tiniest scales, a process sometimes called <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/automating-dna-origami-opens-door-many-new-uses-0526" target="_blank">DNA origami</a>. Because DNA can store a lot of information, structures built out of it can be used to deliver medicines throughout the body or transport gene editing tools. Now, researchers have used DNA to create a new type of robot designed to move and lift cargo at the smallest scales. Their research has been <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aan6558">published in Science</a>.
&#8220;Just like electromechanical robots are sent off to faraway places, like Mars, we would like to send molecular robots to minuscule places where humans can&#8217;t go, such as the bloodstream,&#8221; Lulu Qian, a bioengineering professor at the <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/" target="_blank">California Institute of Technology</a> and one of the study&#8217;s authors, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2017-09/ciot-smw090817.php" target="_blank">explained in a press release</a>. &#8220;Our goal was to design and build a molecular robot that could perform a sophisticated nanomechanical task: cargo sorting.&#8221;
The researchers wanted to create robots that could pick up and sort molecules within a designated space. To that end, they created a three-part DNA robot out of a single strand of DNA. To help it maneuver within the designated space, the robot had a &#8220;leg&#8221; with a pair of feet. An &#8220;arm&#8221; with a &#8220;hand&#8221; allowed it to carry cargo, and a third component was added to tell the hand when a specific drop-off point had been reached so it would know to release the cargo.
<figure id="attachment_100492" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100492" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-100492 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/09/thubagere2HR-2.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1300" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100492" class="wp-caption-text">Conceptual illustration of a DNA robot sorting two types of cargos. Considerable artistic license has been taken. Image Credit: Ella Maru Studio (www.scientific-illustrations.com)</figcaption></figure>
To test their robot, the researchers created a board featuring a grid of single DNA strands to which their robot could bind with one foot. Meanwhile, the other foot would swing freely until it found another strand on the board. Moving in this manner, the robot needed five minutes to take one six-nanometer step.
During the course of its excursion, when the robot ran into cargo — in this case, fluorescent yellow and pink dye molecules — it knew to pick it up and deliver it to a designated location depending on the color. The robot was designed to continue this process until all the cargo was sorted, and after 24 hours, the tiny bot had successfully sorted three pink and three yellow molecules.
After several different iterations, the researchers created robots that had an 80 percent chance of accurately delivering their cargo.
<h2>Tiny Robots, Big Applications</h2>
According to the researchers, their nanobots can be configured in many different ways. Several bots can work in the same area simultaneously without interfering with the others&#8217; tasks or they could be designed to interact with one another. In order for the robots to be useful, though, they need to work a bit faster. The researchers have suggested that adding &#8220;tails&#8221; or motors to the robots could speed them up.
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://wordpress-cached.futurism.com/images/pill-robots-the-future-of-non-invasive-surgery-infographic"><img src="https://wordpress-cached.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Pillrobots__home_v1.jpg" alt="Pill Robots: The Future of Non-Invasive Surgery [INFOGRAPHIC]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://wordpress-cached.futurism.com/images/pill-robots-the-future-of-non-invasive-surgery-infographic" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
The major advance is in the researchers&#8217; methodology, according to John H. Reif, a computer science professor at Duke University. &#8220;Similar systems should be able to perform more complex tasks, such as executing chemical synthesis in parallel,&#8221; he asserted in <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aao5125">an accompanying editorial for Science</a>.
Though Qian noted in the press release that she and her team didn&#8217;t create the robots with any specific purpose in mind, she thinks other researchers will find applications for them.
&#8220;[I]t is my hope that other researchers could use these principles for exciting applications, such as using a DNA robot for synthesizing a therapeutic chemical from its constituent parts in an artificial molecular factory, delivering a drug only when a specific signal is given in bloodstreams or cells, or sorting molecular components in trash for recycling,&#8221; said Qian.
This could be particularly useful during our exploration of the cosmos as astronauts on long intergalactic flights could have these bots in their bloodstreams, remaining inactive until they receive the signal telling them to release a needed medication.

These bots have feet, an arm, and even a “brain” telling them what to do.

Nanobots Made of DNA Can Now Carry and Sort Molecular Cargo

<h2>Gold and DNA</h2>
Nanostructures made using <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7082/full/440283a.html" target="_blank">DNA origami</a> are fascinating. The ability to use DNA as a construction material, capable of holding scaffolds of molecules and atoms was one huge step in <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=DNA+origami" target="_blank">developing modern nanostrutures</a>. Most recent of these developments are gold-plated nanowires constructed by scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and from Paderborn University, which independently assembled themselves from single DNA strands, as published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b01961" target="_blank">Langmuir</a>.
These nanowires, due to their gold-plating, were able to conduct electricity. &#8220;Our measurements have shown that an electrical current is conducted through these tiny wires,&#8221; explains <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/hd-cmo110916.php">Artur Erbe</a> of the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research. The nano-sized structures were connected by two electrical contacts.
Even more fascinating is how these were made using modified DNA strands — stable double strands combined through their base pairs, from long single strands of genetic material and DNA segments. These allowed for the structures to independently take on their desired forms, complex structures developed by molecules through a self-assembling processes.
<h2>From the Bottom-Up</h2>
&#8220;With the help of this approach, which resembles the Japanese paper folding technique origami and is therefore referred to as DNA-origami, we can create tiny patterns. Extremely small circuits made of molecules and atoms are also conceivable here,&#8221; says Erbe.
Usually, developing nano circuits use what is known as the &#8220;top-down&#8221; method, where the base material is chiseled until the desired structure is formed. This will become increasingly difficult as <a href="https://futurism.com/an-end-to-moores-law-shrinking-transistors-will-no-longer-be-viable-by-2021/" target="_blank">electronics continue miniaturization</a>. The new &#8220;bottom-up&#8221; method changes how these electronic components are usually made.
<figure style="width: 500px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/11/la-2016-019612_0009.gif" alt="Credits: B. Teschome, A. Erbe, et al." width="500" height="194" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credits: B. Teschome, A. Erbe, et al.</figcaption></figure>
There is one problem, though. &#8220;Genetic matter doesn&#8217;t conduct a current particularly well,&#8221; Erbe points out, which explains why the nanowires were gold-plated. But even with this, there was still difficulty with conducting current at room temperatures. Better melding of conductive materials need to be further developed, plus the option of using cheaper, more standard wire coating than gold.
Still, the research is promising. This nanowire that&#8217;s made partially out of genetic material could be the future of electronics. Smaller wires allow for more compact designs, which together with <a href="https://futurism.com/nevermind-moores-law-transistors-just-got-a-whole-lot-smaller/" target="_blank">smaller transistors</a>, can be used to make more powerful computers.

The future of electronics could come in a size even tinier than a virus.

Computers Made of Genetic Material Will Revolutionize Our World

<h2>ARE ROACHES ALL THAT BAD?</h2>
Who would have thought that roaches, that&#8217;s right, C-O-C-K-R-O-A-C-H-E-S, could actually do something good for humanity? Well, it seems that they are helping out quite a lot.
<a href="http://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php">Bar-Ilan University</a> scientists, together with the <a href="http://portal.idc.ac.il/en/main/homepage/pages/about-idc-herzliya.aspx">Interdisciplinary Center in Israel</a>, designed injectable nanobots, and they are testing them on these little critters. Remarkably, the technology controls the release of drugs that are needed for the brain using the brain itself. That&#8217;s right, using only brain power! 
And down the road, this extra mind boost could be a lifesaver for many. The work was <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/asset?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0161227.PDF">published in the journal PLOS ONE</a>.
<h2>ROBOTS IN YOUR BRAIN</h2>
These microscopic robots are equipped with iron oxide nanoparticles that act as &#8220;doors&#8221; to control the discharge of drugs that the brain needs. These doors can be manipulated through Ectroencephalography (EEG) controlled electromagnets. The electromagnets respond, and &#8220;open,&#8221; when there is a specific brain pattern detected by the EEG. Notably, the EEG could be set to respond to an associated psychotic episode, so the bots will then release drugs to help the patient. 
To that end, the team asserts that the nanobots can be very useful in helping with brain issues like schizophrenia or ADHD. 
It&#8217;s fascinating, also, to note that these nanobots are like DNA-Origami, which is very easy to control—they&#8217;re not really like Hiro&#8217;s innovative &#8220;microbots&#8221; from Big Hero 6, but still pretty cool.
<figure id="attachment_49571" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49571" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/08/dna-origami.jpeg"><img class="size-full wp-image-49571" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/08/dna-origami.jpeg" alt="DNA Origami (Karolinska Institute)" width="1024" height="567" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49571" class="wp-caption-text">DNA Origami (Karolinska Institute)</figcaption></figure>
However, to date, these methods aren&#8217;t approved for human trials, which is where the roaches come in—the team is using them to perfect the technique.
Most of us have likely considered roaches &#8220;pests&#8221; our whole lives, but moving forward, maybe think twice before using that bug spray whenever you see them scurrying around the house.

These mind-controlled nanobots could help us treat brain disorders. 

Scientists Made Nanorobots That Can Release Drugs in The Body Using Mind-Control

<h2>The Littlest Origami</h2>
When it comes to building at the nanoscale, DNA is the construction material of choice. That may seem a little strange. After all, DNA is nature&#8217;s hard drive, encoding the software of life.
But the macromolecule turns out to be a very hardy and versatile building material, perfectly suited to building complex structures with dimensions measured in nanometers—what is known as &#8220;DNA origami.&#8221;
Biology has settled on the DNA double helix as the default configuration, but there are many more possibilities. Rearrange the base pairs or insert other molecules, and DNA can twist into just about any shape you could wish for.
<figure style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/05/image-5.jpeg" alt="Digital rendering of the diverse DNA structures autonomously designed by the DAEDALUS algorithm. Credit: Digizyme" width="639" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Digital rendering of the diverse DNA structures autonomously designed by the DAEDALUS algorithm. Credit: Digizyme</figcaption></figure>
And the uses for such fine-scale DNA manipulation are virtually endless. Imagine DNA-based drug delivery mechanisms, or—more in keeping with the nucleic acid&#8217;s traditional role—<a href="https://futurism.com/videos/dna-storage-coming-going-revolutionize-way-share-data/">a dense information storage system capable of recording terabytes of data in something less than the size of a pinhead</a>.
The problem is, synthesizing and manipulating DNA is prohibitively difficult; the laborious business of assembling DNA by hand, one base pair at a time, and determining how to obtain the desired shape, requires multiple PhDs and more time than anyone is likely to want to waste.
<h2>DAEDALUS</h2>
But now a team of researchers from MIT, Arizona State University, and Baylor University have devised a new computer algorithm that does all the hard work for you. The results of their research have been published in the journal Science.
&#8220;The paper turns the problem around from one in which an expert designs the DNA needed to synthesize the object, to one in which the object itself is the starting point, with the DNA sequences that are needed automatically defined by the algorithm,&#8221; <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/automating-dna-origami-opens-door-many-new-uses-0526">says Mark Bathe</a>, associate professor of biological engineering at MIT, and lead researcher for the study.
<figure style="width: 639px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/05/image-6.jpeg" alt="Some of the DNA shapes actually created with the DAEDALUS algorithm, with cryo-electron microscopy images at far right. Credit: Bathe et al." width="639" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Some of the DNA shapes actually created with the DAEDALUS algorithm, with cryo-electron microscopy images at far right. Credit: Bathe et al.</figcaption></figure>
The new algorithm, which the team has called DAEDALUS, automates the entire business of sculpting DNA shapes; essentially, you begin with the desired shape (which must have a closed surface) and feed it into the algorithm, which then maps out the order of bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine) needed to produce the DNA &#8220;scaffold.&#8221;
DAEDALUS means &#8220;open source&#8221; DNA origami, enabling anyone with the inclination and access to the algorithm to design and create their own DNA-based, nanoscale objects. What Henry Ford&#8217;s assembly line concept did for manufacturing, DAEDALUS promises to do for nanoscale structures.
The team is already investigating the wealth of potential applications for these nanoparticles, including creating delivery vehicles for the <a href="https://futurism.com/new-crispr-gene-editing-method-can-edit-single-letters-dna/">CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool</a>, or designing binary DNA memory blocks.

The new program makes folding DNA into required shapes as easy as the push of a button. 

Scientists Find a Better Way to Make Structures to Create DNA Based Tech

<ul>
<li>Folding DNA origami may sound tedious and strange, but it is an important technique for researchers. By producing small, precise structures on a nano-scale, they are able to interact with human cells and molecules. This allows the structures to do specialized functions, such as binding to cancer cells to stop them from reproducing.</li>
<li>Researchers have recently discovered a way to precisely build these complex structures, drawing inspiration from the Seven Bridges of Konigsberg problem. The problem details that Konigsberg has seven bridges throughout the city, and asks if it is possible to walk through the city crossing every bridge once (and only once).</li>
<li>This technique allows scientists to “3-D print” the structure using DNA by first creating a polygonal diagram of it with normal 3-D printing software, then calculating the optimal pathing using their new algorithm, and finally creating it with DNA. To maximize structural strength and detail, the DNA needs to cover each edge of the polygonal structure and not double over itself.</li>
<li>Before this discovery, the shapes were limited to large blocks as opposed to the small and detailed nanostructures of today. Still, the team has to find an easy way to “print” out the structure, since it requires strenuously ordering and pipetting the DNA. However, the discovery opens up many possibilities in the world of nanostructure research for scientists.</li>
</ul>

Scientists Use Origami to Make Nanoscale Models…with DNA

<ul>
<li>They coated plastic (polystyrene or polyacrylamide) microparticles with 40 base pairs of DNA, forming gel-like materials that they could extrude from a 3D printer* to form solid shapes (up to centimeters in size). These were used as scaffolds to host growing cells within the matrix.</li>
<li>The researchers have demonstrated multicellular colonies of living cells growing in this colloidal gel. “More advanced DNA computation might also allow us to algorithmically determine the assembly process at the nano- to microscales,” the authors explain. “DNA circuits could mediate the conditional or algorithmic assembly of DNA-modified subunits into higher-order morphologies.</li>
<li>Such processes have previously been demonstrated at the nanoscale with subunits such as DNA origami tiles, and these methods provide a potential for further scaling.</li>
</ul>

Programmable 3D-printed tissues and organs using DNA ‘smart glue’

<ul>
<li>A human patient with late stage leukemia will be given DNA nanobot treatment. Without the DNA nanobot treatment the patient would be expected to die in the summer of 2015. Based upon animal trials they expect to remove the cancer within one month. Within 1 or 2 years they hope to have spinal cord repair working in animals and then shortly thereafter in humans. This is working in tissue cultures.</li>
<li>This optimism is based on a publication last spring in Nature Nanotechnology “Universal computing by DNA origami robots in a living animal” here: http://life-sciences.biu.ac.il/files/life-sciences/media/nnano.2014.58.pdf</li>
<li>The architectures described in this paper are capable of processing at most two input bits. The authors point out, however, that errors in robot activation scale only linearly with the numbers of robot types present in the system.</li>
</ul>