DNA nanotechnology

DNA nanotechnology concerns unconventional design of artificial nucleic acid materials beyond their function as genetic information carriers in life. It harnesses the unique programmable properties of DNA molecules to create unprecedented nanoscale structures and devices with applications across a wide range of disciplines including chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, electronics and photonics.

This special-themed collection is motivated to provide a platform to showcase state-of-the-art progress and address future challenges and opportunities. The scope of the collection is broad, including but are not limited to:

• Structural DNA nanotechnology including DNA origami
• Functional and dynamic DNA nanostructures
• DNA-based self-assembly of nanomaterials
• DNA-based nanocomposites, nanoparticles, nanocrystalline materials, and nanoclusters
• DNA-based hydrogels and liquids
• DNA-based nanodevices and molecular machines
• DNA nanomaterials for bioapplications in medicine, diagnostics, and drug delivery
• DNA-based logic gates
• Computational DNA nanotechnology
• DNA-based information processing and storage

Since its foundational concept established by Nadrian Seeman in the 1980s, the field of DNA nanotechnology has attracted significant research efforts worldwide and flourished over the past 40 years. Today, it represents a critical component of modern nanoscience and nanotechnology, opening new frontiers in both fundamental science and practical applications.

Taking advantages of ubiquitous Watson-Crick base-pairing interactions, DNA nanotechnology offers the ability to design and manipulate matter with high precision at the molecular, nano and microscopic scales, enabling various DNA origami architectures, plasmonic nanoassemblies, DNA robots, DNA computing, biosensing, drug delivery and therapies, to name a few.

How to submit

When ready, please submit your manuscript directly to the submissions platform for Nanoscale Horizons where our Editors will assess as per the scope and standards of the journal. Please add a note in the ‘Comments to the Editor’ and ‘Themed issues’ sections of the submission that this is a submission to the ‘DNA Nanotechnology’ themed collection in response to the Open Call.

Submissions should fit within the scope of Nanoscale Horizons. Please note that primary research for Nanoscale Horizons is accepted in the form of Communications and requires a ‘New Concepts statement’ to help ascertain the significance of the research. 

We strongly encourage you to submit an original research article. If you are interested in submitting a review-type article, please contact theeditorial office in the first instance with a proposed title and abstract, as initial approval is required before submission to avoid topic overlap and ensure that we cover topics in need of review.

Please note that all submissions will be subject to our standard rigorous peer review process, including an initial editorial assessment of suitability for the journal before potential peer review.  If accepted, your article would be published in a usual journal issue and added to the online collection for extra visibility