Programmable and scalable assembly of a flexible hexagonal DNA origami.

Nanoscale structures have great potential for constructing nanorobots, nanomachines, and many other devices. In this study, a hexagonal DNA origami ring was assembled and visualized by atom force microscope (AFM). The DNA origami shape could be programmed into either hexagonal or linear with an open or folded pattern. The flexible origami showed to be robust and switchable for dynamic pattern recognition. Its edges were folded by six bundles of DNA helices, which could be opened or folded in a honeycomb shape. Additionally, the edges were programmed into a concave-convex pattern, which allowed the origami to be linked to dipolymers. Furthermore, biotin-streptavidin labels were embedded at each edge for nanoscale calibration. AFM results demonstrated the stability and high-yield of this flexible DNA origami ring. Therefore, this polymorphous nanostructure is expected to be useful for dynamic nano-construction and calibration of structural probes or sensors.