Researchers from our top-rated Biosciences Department working with colleagues at Jagiellonian University in Poland, have developed a new nanoscale tool that could transform how scientists study some of the most important proteins in biology.
Membrane proteins
The innovation centres on membrane proteins, which sit within the outer layer of cells and act as gatekeepers, controlling the movement of signals and materials in and out of the cell.
Despite their importance, these proteins are difficult to study because they are fragile and hard to isolate in a stable form.
DNA structures
To overcome this challenge, the team created tiny DNA "nano-rings" capable of capturing and positioning individual membrane proteins with remarkable precision.
The method combines DNA origami, which folds DNA into carefully designed shapes, with nanodiscs (small, membrane-like structures that can hold single proteins).
Together, these form DNA-Origami-Constrained Nanodiscs, or DOC-NDs.
These structures, just tens of nanometres wide, can trap protein-carrying nanodiscs inside a DNA ring while keeping the protein accessible for analysis.
The researchers found that the system works efficiently, with most DNA rings successfully capturing nanodiscs and often holding just one at a time.
This level of control is particularly useful for advanced imaging techniques, where consistent positioning of molecules is essential for clear results.
Future applications
In a further step, the team developed an advanced version of the system that can control the orientation of the captured protein, allowing scientists to determine which way it is facing.
This is important because the function of membrane proteins depends heavily on their orientation within a membrane.
The researchers believe this technology could support a wide range of future applications.
These include improving imaging methods, helping scientists better understand how drugs interact with proteins and enabling the design of synthetic cells.
In the longer term, the approach could allow proteins to be delivered into specific membranes in a controlled way, opening new possibilities in targeted therapies and bioengineering.
Image (above) - Rendered in a retro-futuristic vapourwave style, the cover depicts DNA origami as luminous tweezers capturing membrane protein-loaded nanodiscs with nanometre precision. The image highlights DOC-NDs as a nanoscale tool for the controlled positioning of membrane proteins and their delivery to target lipid bilayers, shown as the planar surface where several proteins have already been delivered.
