Figure 3. DNA nanostructures have potential as antimicrobial delivery vehicles.

(a) Hundreds of oligonucleotides (red) bind to pre-designed positions of a long, circular, single-stranded piece of DNA (blue), folding it and holding it in place to form a nanostructure. (b) Each one of the oligonucleotides (red) can be functionalised so that it carries active molecules, such as antimicrobials (enzymes, small molecules, peptides) or fluorophores. (c) DNA nanostructures that have been used to date as antimicrobial carriers. DNA pyramids have been combined with antimicrobial peptides (left) or the antibiotic actinomycin and gold nanoparticles (centre), while a ‘five-well frame’ nanostructure (right) has been used to deliver the antimicrobial enzyme lysozyme and at the same time specifically bind bacterial targets using aptamers.