Scaling Up DNA Self-Assembly

Recent advances in structural DNA nanotechnology, including DNA origami and DNA bricks, have enabled arbitrarily complexed nanopatterns. However, most of these DNA structures are limited with sub-100 nm dimensions because of the limits from the length of scaffold strand, as well as the sequence library. This review will focus on different strategies for scaling-up DNA self-assembly, including the hierarchical assembly of the preformed DNA building blocks both in solution and on surface, the scaffolded assembly of finite sized DNA structures, the nonhierarchical assembly of single-stranded DNA bricks, and the seed-mediated algorithmic assembly. The design criteria, the building blocks, and the key assembly conditions for each assembly strategy are described. In addition, the future challenges, as well as application potentials of large-area DNA structures, are discussed.