BioSysteM Research Radar: Magnetic DNA Origami Nanorotors

_{The nanorotors can generate torques comparable to those of biological molecular motors. Graphical abstract: Florian Rothfischer / University of Augsburg}

A team of researchers from TUM, LMU and TU Braunschweig, including BioSysteM Postdoc Lennart Weiß, BioSysteM spokesperson Friedrich Simmel, and BioSysteM PI Tim Liedl, has developed magnetically actuated DNA origami nanorotors.

By arranging ferromagnetic nanocubes on DNA origami bundles, the researchers created nanoscale actuators that can be magnetically clamped and rotated at the single-rotor level. Notably, these nanorotors can generate torques comparable to those of biological molecular motors.

This proof-of-concept introduces magnetic actuation as a programmable and bio-orthogonal control modality, opening possibilities for nanoscale torque probes and future nanorobotic systems.

Congratulations to the authors on this publication!

Publication:
L. J. K. Weiß, F. Rothfischer, Y. Wang, et al. “ Magnetic DNA Origami Nanorotors.” Advanced Materials (2026): e74245. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.74245