Folding and cutting DNA into reconfigurable topological nanostructures

Topology is the mathematical study of the spatial properties that are preserved through the deformation, twisting and stretching of objects. Topological architectures are common in nature and can be seen, for example, in DNA molecules that condense and relax during cellular events1. Synthetic topological nanostructures, such as catenanes and rotaxanes, have been engineered using supramolecular chemistry, but the fabrication of complex and reconfigurable structures remains challenging2. Here, we show that DNA origami3 can be used to assemble a Möbius strip, a topological ribbon-like structure that has only one side4,5,6. In addition, we show that the DNA Möbius strip can be reconfigured through strand displacement7 to create topological objects such as supercoiled ring and catenane structures. This DNA fold-and-cut strategy, analogous to Japanese kirigami8, may be used to create and reconfigure programmable topological structures that are unprecedented in molecular engineering. A Möbius strip — a ribbon-like structure with only one side — can be assembled from DNA origami and then reconfigured into various topologies by cutting along the length of the strip.