Self-assembled cell-scale containers made from DNA origami membranes

Abstract DNA origami provides a methodology for the sequence-programmable generation of precisely defined molecular nanostructures with sizes of order 100 nm. A new frontier for the field is the generation of superstructures made from DNA origami subunits, which requires other self-assembly strategies than those used for DNA origami itself. Challenges faced by current approaches include the increasing complexity, cost and development time for the structures and off-target assembly. Here, we demonstrate how radially symmetric origami subunits that are inspired by the structure and interactions of lipids organize into giant DNA origami monolayer membranes that can be readily programmed to form vesicles or hollow tubes with diameters ranging from 100 nm to over 1 µm. DNA origami membranes are an unprecedented approach for compartmentalization that opens up new possibilities for bottom-up biology and cell-scale soft robotics.