Nature has evolved and adapted over many years to establish the highly sophisticated systems we observe today. DNA, in particular, can offer a plethora of chemical and biological functions which we can exploit for nanotechnological advances. The development of DNA synthesis has enabled attainment of many nanostructures thus its application as a nanomaterial has been realized. In parallel, the polymer community has progressed towards generating perfectly executed macromolecules, while also expanding the monomer toolbox to increase functionality. We envisage pushing the limits of polymer chemistry towards the synthesis of artificial precision macromolecules by combining the programmability and sophistication of DNA with polymer synthesis. For nanostructure assembly, we have developed a grafting from approach employing polymerization induced self-assembly (PISA), where hydrophilic monomers chain extend into hydrophobic polymer blocks. Thermal reverse addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization combined with enzyme degassing enabled ambient conditions for grafting from oligonucleotides where the precise control of monomer to chain transfer agent ratios could be employed to define polymer length, which, combined with PISA, could self-assemble into the thermodynamically most favored structure, such as micelles or worms. We can also transfer this technology onto DNA origami, where the nanostructure platform can control polymer positioning on the nanoscale to afford precision patterning. We envisage that this approach, along with the expansion of polymer composition and DNA nanostructures, could advance both material science and biomedical applications.

The combination of DNA and polymers can yield precision nanostructures of defined shape and patterning.

Dr Colette Whitfield

Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

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