Functionalized DNA origami shells for cargo encapsulation

Inspired by the efficient design of virus particles, we develop self-assembling DNA origami icosahedral nanostructures for cargo encapsulation and delivery. Our design is based on the Casper and Klug (CK) geometric principles of virus structure. We demonstrate a robust method for self-assembly of virus like DNA origami capsids of various sizes by designing specific capsomers with programmable shape complementary lock and key interactions. The building blocks are designed and constructed according to the CK symmetry principles that dictate the minimal number of distinct bonds per capsid. These DNA nanostructures are highly modular, allowing us to successfully functionalize them for encapsulation of organic and non-organic cargo particles. We study self-assembly of capsid and encapsulation of different types of particles with TEM and electrophoretic mobility assays to elucidate different aspects of assembly pathways and encapsulation yield. These DNA origami structures are biocompatible and have highly controllable size and shape, making them candidates for biomaterial engineering purposes such as drug delivery and gene therapy.