Partitioning of ssRNA molecules between preformed monolithic HII liquid crystalline phases of lipids and supernatant isotropic phases.

The interaction of nucleic acids with the nanoarchitectures formed by lipidic systems is a new area of research that may offer insights into the functioning of genetic materials in vivo. Here we report that ssRNA has a strong preference to reside in isotropic solution rather than in inverse hexagonal (HII) liquid crystalline phases. This is in contrast to dsDNA, which becomes localized in the pores of the HII phase.

Programmed assembly of peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles on DNA templates.

We present a novel nanoparticle building block system based on the interactions between short synthetic oligonucleotides and peptides. Gold nanoparticles coated with DNA-binding peptides can be attached to self-organized oligonucleotide templates to formulate well-ordered structures of nanoparticles. By regulating the amount of DNA-binding peptide attached to the nanoparticle surface and using specifically designed oligonucleotides, the nanoparticle assembly can be controlled to form dimers, trimers, and adjustable-length nanoparticle chains as well as more complex structures.