The wizard-like science-freaks at the California Institute of Technology of developed yet another ingenious method of building really, really tiny things. This time around, the lab-loving molecule-masters at Caltech's Center for Biological Circuit Design have figured out a way to fashion nanoscale tubes made up of wound-up coils of DNA. DNA turns out to be a stellar nanoscale construction material because DNA bonds to other DNA on its own -- so the tubes can be easily linked together. Additionally, in this project they are using single-stranded DNA molecules (a.k.a DNA tiles) which are strong and long. 

These funky DNA tubes can also bond together not only from either end of the strand, but along another two points over the strand's length. So that means they could use these DNA tubes to make some sort of lattice -- and as you know, once you get a good lattice going, you can pretty much make all sorts of different structures out of it.

This isn't the first time somebody has made teeny-tiny tubes using DNA. However, this research is particularly fantastic because of two things: first off, this new Caltechian method is easier than previous methods; and second, the control over the sizes of the nanotubes has also reached a new level of precision. 

Basically, what this research amounts to is making a nanoscale construction set. The amount of base pairs in the DNA strands directly correlates to the size of the nanotubes made; so scientists can choose to built 12 nanometre tubes, 18 nanometre tubes, or whatever thickness they need. All of the tubes will be of the same size -- which is something that greatly improves prospects for building nanoscale arrangements. 

To make an analogy out of this, say you want to build a nano-scale doghouse for your nano-dog. Before, when you went to the nano-hardware store, they could only offer pieces of nano-wood that were roughly the same length and thickness, and they took a long time to make (and were expensive.) But now, if this new research is applied, you could to to nano-store and say something like, "Give me four 18 nanometre tubes, three 12 nanometre tubes, and one 20 nanometre tube," and the nano-store clerk guy would just be like, "No problem." With these new nanotubes, you would have a much easier time building your nano-scale doghouse because you know all the tubes would fit together, and be of a reliable size. Oh -- and not to mention, because these tubes are made of DNA, they'll attach themselves, without you having to worry much about it; so both you your nano-dog can relax and be happy.