Clonable DNA Octahedron

I make octahedra regularly. It is the easiest modular origami polyhedron to make. But this one at ~22nm is a lot smaller than I've ever made!

Clonable DNA Octahedron. 2004

William M. Shih (American, b. 1972)

Biomolecular Nanotechnology Group (est. 2004), Dana-Farber Cancer Research Institute (est. 1947), Harvard Medical School (USA, est. 1782)

“Molecular self-assembly offers a means of spontaneously forming complex and well-defined structures from simple components,” Shih explains. This model represents a single-strand DNA molecule that folds into an octahedron structure. “We used cryo-electron microscopy to show that the DNA strands fold successfully to form hollow octahedra approximately twenty-two nanometers in diameter,” he continues.

In the future I will have added an article on how to make your own modular origami octahedron.