From an article by Kyree Leary at futurism.com:

In 1953, a pair of scientists named James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick — with help from the data supplied by the research of another scientist, Rosalind Franklin, — successfully modeled the structure of DNA for the first time. Since then, whenever we think of DNA, we usually imagine the double helix-shaped, ladder-like structure that Franklin, Watson, and Crick described.

However, we now know that this classic configuration is not the only way DNA can be structured. In fact, scientists have taken to folding DNA into new forms — a technique they’ve dubbed “DNA Origami.” As the name implies, DNA Origami scientists have created several different shapes using DNA strands, including hearts, triangles, and even the smiley face emoji.

A team of scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) and Harvard University (HU) took DNA Origami to the next level and are now creating “single-stranded origami” (ssOrigami) shapes using one long, spaghetti noodle-like strand of DNA. The strand is capable of self-folding multiple times without forming a single knot and marks a significant advancement in DNA nanotechnology.

Image Credit:   Getty

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