Thermo‐Responsive Actuation of a DNA Origami Flexor

Nanomachines capable of controlled programmable work at the nanoscale promise to revolutionize a vast range of research and eventually should impact on daily lives. Due to the ease of design and modification, DNA origami is emerging as a natural platform to build such machines. However, one essential challenge is the controlled and rapid actuation of DNA origami using an external biocompatible stimulus. Here, actuation based on temperature‐induced phase transitions of the thermo‐responsive polymer poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is reported. By incorporating this polymer into DNA origami structures on either side of a flexible region, a “DNA origami flexor” is created that uses the tunable PNIPAM hydrophobicity to reversibly open and close the DNA structures. Such a mechanism has the advantage of being versatile and biocompatible, and possessing strong response to temperature changes of a few degrees Kelvin.