A route to self-assemble suspended DNA nano-complexes

A route to self-assemble suspended DNA nano-complexes

Highly charged polyelectrolytes can self-assemble in presence of condensing agents such as multivalent cations, amphiphilic molecules or proteins of opposite charge. Aside precipitation, the formation of soluble micro- and nano-particles has been reported in multiple systems. However a precise control of experimental conditions needed to achieve the desired structures has been so far hampered b...

Hydrophobin Vmh2-glucose complexes self-assemble in nanometric biofilms.

Hydrophobins are small proteins secreted by fungi, which self-assemble into amphipathic membranes at air-liquid or liquid-solid interfaces. The physical and chemical properties of some hydrophobins, both in solution and as a biofilm, are affected by poly or oligosaccharides. We have studied the interaction between glucose and the hydrophobin Vmh2 from Pleurotus ostreatus by spectroscopic ellips...

Are Presynaptic Proteins Predisposed to Self-Assemble?

Tight control of synapse formation ensures that neurons connect to appropriate targets. In this issue of Neuron, Klassen et al. identify ARL-8 GTPase as a regulator of presynaptic assembly. Without ARL-8, presynaptic material aggregates en route to its destination, suggesting that ARL-8 acts like a dispersant to prevent premature synaptic assembly in the axon.

Self Assembled Nano-Devices Using DNA

A Mechanism to Self-Assemble Patterns with Autonomous Robots

There are examples of robotic systems in which autonomous mobile robots self-assemble into larger connected entities. However, existing systems display little or no autonomous control over the shape of the connected entity thus formed. We describe a novel distributed mechanism that allows autonomous mobile robots to self-assemble into pre-specified patterns. Global patterns are ‘grown’ using lo...