The world’s tiniest antenna was actually built from DNA. Created by researchers at Université de Montréal, the nanoantenna’s goal is to “monitor the motions of protein,” as per report by PhysOrg.
Think of the DNA-base antenna as a device to assess changes in structure of proteins over time.
Scientists claim this could help them understand the applications of nanotechnology better in science.
Development of DNA-based Antenna
The world’s first DNA synthesiser was created about 40 years ago to help create molecules that converted genetic information into code.
But now, scientists want to use DNA to build nanostructures and nanomachines.
The results are so exciting that we are currently working on setting up a start-up company to commercialize and make this nanoantenna available to most researchers and the pharmaceutical industry.
DNA refers to building blocks that are about 20,000 times smaller than a human hair.
Vallée-Bélisle Said :
“created a DNA-based fluorescent nanoantenna, that can help characterize the function of proteins.”
Comparing it to a “two-way radio that can both receive and transmit radio waves”, the researcher explained how “the fluorescent nanoantenna receives light in one colour, or wavelength, and depending on the protein movement it senses, then transmits light back in another colour, which we can detect.”
This tech could have multiple uses in biochemistry and nanotechnology.
For starters, it help scientists observe the function of an enzyme (alkaline phosphatase) in interaction with “a variety of biological molecules and drugs”, according to Scott Harroun, a UdeM doctoral student and study’s first author.
References
Staff, S. X. (2022, January 10). Chemists use DNA to build the world’s tiniest antenna. PhysOrg.
