DNA Ventures into the World Of Designer Materials

Organic molecules have an unparalleled ability to seek out and latch onto particular partners. Just witness antibodies' proficiency at homing in on precise molecular targets. Inorganic materials, meanwhile, have their own fortes, such as strength and electrical conductivity. Over the past year, chemists in the United States and Ireland have taken initial steps at forging a new link between these two chemical families by creating designer materials in which DNA and other organic molecules help connect tiny inorganic particles to create exquisitely organized structures with surprising new properties.