DNA Nanoscience: From Prebiotic Origins to Emerging Nanotechnology melds two tales of DNA. One is a look at the first 35 years of DNA nanotechnology to better appreciate what lies ahead in this emerging field. The other story looks back 4 billion years to the possible origins of DNA which are shrouded in mystery. The book is divided into three parts comprised of 15 chapters and two Brief Interludes. Part I includes subjects underpinning the book such as a primer on DNA, the broader discipline of nanoscience, and experimental tools used by the principals in the narrative. Part II examines the field of structural DNA nanotechnology, founded by biochemist/crystallographer Nadrian Seeman, that uses DNA as a construction material for nanoscale structures and devices, rather than as a genetic material. Part III looks at the work of physicists Noel Clark and Tommaso Bellini who found that short DNA (nanoDNA) forms liquid crystals that act as a structural gatekeeper, orchestrating a series of self-assembly processes using nanoDNA. This led to an explanation of the polymeric structure of DNA and of how life may have emerged from the prebiotic clutter.

Written by the founder of the field, this is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to structural DNA nanotechnology.

Comprehensive Nanoscience and Technology, Second Edition, Five Volume Set allows researchers to navigate a very diverse, interdisciplinary and rapidly-changing field with up-to-date, comprehensive and authoritative coverage of every aspect of modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. Presents new chapters on the latest developments in the field Covers topics not discussed to this degree of detail in other works, such as biological devices and applications of nanotechnology Compiled and written by top international authorities in the field

Nanoscience is not physics, chemistry, engineering or biology. It is all of them, and it is time for a text that integrates the disciplines. This is such a text, aimed at advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in the sciences. The consequences of smallness and quantum behaviour are well known and described Richard Feynman's visionary essay 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom' (which is reproduced in this book). Another, critical, but thus far neglected, aspect of nanoscience is the complexity of nanostructures. Hundreds, thousands or hundreds of thousands of atoms make up systems that are complex enough to show what is fashionably called 'emergent behaviour'. Quite new phenomena arise from rare configurations of the system. Examples are the Kramer's theory of reactions (Chapter 3), the Marcus theory of electron transfer (Chapter 8), and enzyme catalysis, molecular motors, and fluctuations in gene expression and splicing, all covered in the final Chapter on Nanobiology. The book is divided into three parts. Part I (The Basics) is a self-contained introduction to quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and chemical kinetics, calling on no more than basic college calculus. A conceptual approach and an array of examples and conceptual problems will allow even those without the mathematical tools to grasp much of what is important. Part II (The Tools) covers microscopy, single molecule manipulation and measurement, nanofabrication and self-assembly. Part III (Applications) covers electrons in nanostructures, molecular electronics, nano-materials and nanobiology. Each chapter starts with a survey of the required basics, but ends by making contact with current research literature.

Charge migration through DNA has been the focus of considerable interest in recent years. This book presents contributions from an international team of researchers active in this field. It contains a wide range of topics that includes the mathematical background of the quantum processes involved, the role of charge transfer in DNA radiation damage, a new approach to DNA sequencing, DNA photonics, and many others.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. The chapter "DNA-Programmed Chemical Synthesis of Polymers and Inorganic Nanomaterials" is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 License via link.springer.com.

This volume on nucleic acid nanotechnology offers authoritative, up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of nanotechnological studies and applications of nucleic acids. It provides reviews of various aspects of nucleic acid nanotechnology, each written by an internationally leading expert in the field, and presents state-of-the-art and recent advances in nucleic acid synthetic modifications, nanoscale design, manipulation and current and future applications in bioengineering, medicine, electronics, genetic analysis, chemistry, molecular biology, surface and material sciences. It examines how nucleic acid research is merging with nanotechnology, allowing the nanoscale properties of nucleic acid to be exploited in performing challenging nanotechnological tasks, from nanorobotics and nanosensing to nucleic acid computing. This book will above all benefit anyone who is interested in nanotechnological concepts of nucleic acid design and applications, and offers a valuable resource for teaching these concepts. It is essential reading for a broad audience of scientists both in academia and industry who wish to expand their expertise on the potential of nucleic acid functions and applications.

Nucleic acids have structurally evolved over billions of years to effectively store and transfer genetic information. In the 1980s, Nadrian Seeman’s idea of constructing a 3D lattice from DNA led to utilizing DNA as nanomolecular building blocks to create emergent molecular systems and nanomaterial objects. This bottom-up approach to construct nanoscale architectures with DNA marked the beginning of a new field, DNA nanotechnology, contributing significantly to the broad area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The molecular architectonics of small "designer" molecules and short DNA sequences through complementary binding interaction engenders well-defined functional nanoarchitectures with realistic applications in areas ranging from biology to materials science and is termed "DNA nanoarchitectonics." This book discusses novel approaches adapted by leading researchers from all over the world to create functional nucleic acid molecular systems and nanoarchitectures. Individual chapters contributed by active practitioners provide fundamental and advanced knowledge emanated from their own and others’ work. Each chapter includes numerous illustrations, historical perspectives, case studies and practical examples, critical discussions, and future prospects. This book can serve as a practical handbook or as a textbook for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students of nanotechnology and DNA nanotechnology, supramolecular chemistry, and nanoarchitectonics and researchers working on macromolecular science, nanotechnology, chemistry, biology, and medicine, especially those with an interest in sensors, biosensors, nanoswitches and nanodevices, diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapeutics.

This 21st Century Nanoscience Handbook will be the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field of nanoscience. Handbook of Nanophysics by the same editor published in the fall of 2010 and was embraced as the first comprehensive reference to consider both fundamental and applied aspects of nanophysics. This follow-up project has been conceived as a necessary expansion and full update that considers the significant advances made in the field since 2010. It goes well beyond the physics as warranted by recent developments in the field. This seventh volume in a ten-volume set covers bioinspired systems and methods. Key Features: Provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field. Chapters written by international experts in the field. Emphasises presentation and real results and applications. This handbook distinguishes itself from other works by its breadth of coverage, readability and timely topics. The intended readership is very broad, from students and instructors to engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, biomedical researchers, industry professionals, governmental scientists, and others whose work is impacted by nanotechnology. It will be an indispensable resource in academic, government, and industry libraries worldwide. The fields impacted by nanophysics extend from materials science and engineering to biotechnology, biomedical engineering, medicine, electrical engineering, pharmaceutical science, computer technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, and beyond.

This book covers the emerging topic of DNA nanotechnology and DNA supramolecular chemistry in its broader sense. By taking DNA out of its biological role, this biomolecule has become a very versatile building block in materials chemistry, supramolecular chemistry and bio-nanotechnology. Many novel structures have been realized in the past decade, which are now being used to create molecular machines, drug delivery systems, diagnosis platforms or potential electronic devices. The book combines many aspects of DNA nanotechnology, including formation of functional structures based on covalent and non-covalent systems, DNA origami, DNA based switches, DNA machines, and alternative structures and templates. This broad coverage is very appealing since it combines both the synthesis of modified DNA as well as designer concepts to successfully plan and make DNA nanostructures. Contributing authors have provided first a general introduction for the non-specialist reader, followed by a more in-depth analysis and presentation of their topic. In this way the book is attractive and useful for both the non-specialist who would like to have an overview of the topic, as well as the specialist reader who requires more information and inspiration to foster their own research.