Advancing Biophysics Using DNA Origami

DNA origami enables the bottom-up construction of chemically addressable, nanoscale objects with user-defined shapes and tailored functionalities. As such, not only can DNA origami objects be used to improve existing experimental methods in biophysics, but they also open up completely new avenues of exploration. In this review, we discuss basic biophysical concepts that are relevant for prospective DNA origami users. We summarize biochemical strategies for interfacing DNA origami with biomolecules of interest. We describe various applications of DNA origami, emphasizing the added value or new biophysical insights that can be generated: rulers and positioning devices, force measurement and force application devices, alignment supports for structural analysis for biomolecules in cryogenic electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance, probes for manipulating and interacting with lipid membranes, and programmable nanopores. We conclude with some thoughts on so-far little explored opportunities for using DNA origami in more complex environments such as the cell or even organisms.