Driving DNA Origami Assembly with a Terahertz Wave

Terahertz (THz) waves show nontrivial interactions with living systems, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have yet to be explored. Here, we employ DNA origami as a model system to study the interactions between THz waves and DNA structures. We find that a 3-min THz illumination (35.2 THz) can drive the unwinding of DNA duplexes at ∼10 °C below their melting point. Computational study reveals that the THz wave can resonate with the vibration of DNA bases, provoking the hydrogen bond breaking. The cooperation of thermal and nonthermal effects allows the unfolding of undesired secondary structures and the THz illumination can generate diverse DNA origami assemblies with the yield (>80%) ∼ 4-fold higher than that by the contact heating at similar temperatures. We also demonstrate the in situ assembly of DNA origami in cell lysate. This method enables remotely controllable assembly of intact biomacromolecules, providing new insight into the bioeffects of THz waves.