Illuminating DNA: Unveiling the Stacking Secrets

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have used a novel imaging technique called DNA-PAINT to study the strength of base-stacking interactions in DNA strands. Base-stacking, the interaction between bases in the same strand, is less understood compared to base-pairing. The study found that adding one more base-stacking interaction significantly increases the stability of a DNA strand. The researchers also designed a three-armed DNA nanostructure with potential biomedical applications. The findings could contribute to understanding DNA repair mechanisms and have broader implications in nanotechnology and imaging.