I love origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, often used to make cute desktop ornaments that look like Dinosaurs or other animals. Of course, I have no idea how to actually make origami myself and have never even attempted to do so. But I’m a huge fan nonetheless. Especially now that it turns out that DNA origami may be able to save us from the coronavirus!
The website Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News explains:
“By using a technique known as DNA origami to fold DNA into a virus-like structure, MIT researchers have designed HIV-like particles coated with HIV antigens in precise patterns, which may eventually be used as an HIV vaccine. In vitro studies showed that the DNA origami particles, which mimic the size and shape of viruses, provoked a strong immune response from human immune cells. The researchers anticipate that the same approach could be used to design DNA origami vaccines for a wide variety of viral diseases, and they are now working on adapting the technology to develop a potential vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.”
Adds the Science Advisory Board:
“DNA origami was invented in 2006 by Paul Rothemund of the California Institute of Technology. It involves the folding of DNA to create 2D and 3D shapes at the nanoscale. In 2016, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed an algorithm that can automatically design and build 3D virus-like shapes using DNA origami. This method offers a high degree of control to attach molecules at very specific locations.
‘The DNA structure is like a pegboard where the antigens can be attached at any position,’ explained senior author Mark Bathe, PhD, MIT professor of biological engineering and an associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in a statement. ‘These virus-like particles have now enabled us to reveal fundamental molecular principles of immune cell recognition for the first time.'”
And here I thought that origami was just a neat parlor trick. Turns out it’s much more than that. Soon it may even save your life.
Is DNA origami the Greatest Idea Ever?
Leave a comment