DNA cages with icosahedral symmetry in bionanotechnology

TL;DR

This paper presents the design principles for constructing DNA-based polyhedral cages with icosahedral symmetry, highlighting their potential as nanocontainers for cargo delivery due to their high volume-to-surface ratio.

Contribution

It introduces a blueprint for creating DNA polyhedral cages with icosahedral symmetry, detailing the structural rules and junction types involved.

Findings

Blueprints for DNA cages with icosahedral symmetry are provided.

Icosidodecahedral cages offer the largest volume-to-surface ratio among discussed cages.

Design rules facilitate the construction of DNA nanocontainers for cargo delivery.

Abstract

Blueprints of polyhedral cages with icosahedral symmetry made of circular DNA molecules are provided. The basic rule is that every edge of the cage is met twice in opposite directions by the DNA strand, and vertex junctions are realised by a set of admissible junction types. As nanocontainers for cargo storage and delivery, the icosidodecahedral cages are of special interest as they have the largest volume per surface ratio of all cages discussed here.