Biophysicists in Japan have found ways to make and manipulate capsule-like DNA structures that could be used in the development of artificial molecular systems. Such systems could function, for example, inside the human body. The study was a collaboration between Yusuke Sato of Tohoku University and Masahiro Takinoue of the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), and the findings were published in the JACS Au.

The findings demonstrate an approach for constructing and modifying DNA capsules that could have a variety of different functions and purposes. For example, they could be used to carry substances to specific target organs, releasing their cargo when exposed to certain enzymes. They could also be made mobile by using DNA nanostructures that can be manipulated to alter the shapes of the capsules. Or they could be modified with proteins or DNA-based molecular devices to make functional compartmental structures, like cellular membranes.