DNA-based nano-architectures and nano-machines provide the focus for the latest issue of Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry. The articles highlight the potential of DNA and RNA in providing functional biomolecules for applications in materials science and nanotechnology and are written by top scientists in the field. 

Featured in this issue: 

Perspective: Jean-Louis Mergny and co-workers from CNRS, France, describe how the self-assembly properties of DNA and RNA can be used to form quadruplex-duplex nanomachines. 

Emerging Area: Some of the recent advances in the development of DNA machines and their potential future applications are discussed by Moritz K. Beissenhirtz and Itamar Willner, from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. 

On the outside front cover: Thomas La Bean and co-workers from Duke University, US, describe the selection from phage display libraries of single-chain antibodies (scFv) for binding to a specific DNA aptamer and their development as adapter molecules for nanoscale construction. 




On the inside front cover: Hao Yan and colleagues at Arizona State University, US, describe a combinatorial modular method to self-assemble DNA nanostructures. These can be used as molecular scaffolds or nanoparticle arrays.