The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Marina A Dobrovolskaia

Kirill Andreevich Afonin

Mathias D Viard

Bruce Allen Shapiro

Wojciech Kasprzak

Justin R Halman

Eckart H U Bindewald

The description provides a molecular switch comprising at least two nanoparticles, wherein a first nanoparticle comprises DNA and/or RNA oligonucleotides, and a second nanoparticle which is complementary to the first nanoparticle comprises reverse complementary DNA and/or RNA oligonucleotides of the first nanoparticle; wherein the complementary nanoparticles interact under physiological conditions leading to thermodynamically driven conformational changes in the first and second nanoparticles leading to their re-association to release one or more duplexes comprising said DNA and/or RNA oligonucleotides and the reverse complementary DNA and/or RNA oligonucleotides, and wherein the nanoparticles are not rings and have no single stranded toeholds.

Functionally-interdependent shape switching nucleic acid nanoparticles

Growing community of inventors

Frederick, MD, United States of America

Marina A Dobrovolskaia