DNA Nanotechnology in the Undergraduate Laboratory: Electrophoretic Analysis of DNA Nanostructure Biostability

The field of DNA nanotechnology has grown rapidly in the past decade and has expanded to multiple laboratories. While lectures in DNA nanotechnology have been introduced in some institutions, laboratory components at the undergraduate level are still lacking. Undergraduate students predominantly learn about DNA nanotechnology through their involvement as interns in research laboratories. The DNA nanostructure biostability analysis experiment presented here can be used as a hands-on introductory laboratory exercise for discussing concepts in DNA nanotechnology in an undergraduate setting. This experiment discusses biostability, gel electrophoresis and quantitative analysis of nuclease degradation of a model DNA nanostructure, the paranemic crossover (PX) DNA motif. The experiment can be performed in a chemistry, biology, or biochemistry laboratory with minimal costs and can be adapted in undergraduate institutions using the instructor and student manuals provided here. Laboratory courses based on cutting edge research not only provide students a direct hands-on approach to the subject, but also can increase undergraduate student participation in research. Moreover, laboratory courses that reflect the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of research add value to undergraduate education.