Single molecules can now be visualised with unprecedented precision. As the resolution of single-molecule experiments improves, so too does the breadth, quantity and quality of information that can be extracted using these methodologies. In the field of DNA nanotechnology, we use programmable interactions between nucleic acids to generate complex, multidimensional structures. We can use single-molecule techniques – ranging from electron and fluorescence microscopies to electrical and force spectroscopies – to report on the structure, morphology, robustness, sample heterogeneity and other properties of these DNA nanoconstructs. In this Tutorial Review, we will detail how complementarity between static and dynamic single-molecule techniques can provide a unified image of DNA nanoarchitectures. The single-molecule methods that we discuss provide unprecedented insight into chemical and structural behaviour, yielding not just an average outcome but reporting on the distribution of values, ultimately showing how bulk properties arise from the collective behaviour of individual structures. As the fields of both DNA nanotechnology and single-molecule characterisation intertwine, a feedback loop is generated between disciplines, providing new opportunities for the development and operation of DNA-based materials as sensors, delivery vehicles, machinery and structural scaffolds.

中文翻译：

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结构DNA纳米技术中的单分子方法。

现在可以以前所未有的精度可视化单个分子。随着单分子实验分辨率的提高，使用这些方法可以提取的信息的广度，数量和质量也随之提高。在DNA纳米技术领域，我们使用核酸之间的可编程相互作用来生成复杂的多维结构。我们可以使用单分子技术-从电子和荧光显微镜到电和力谱-来报告这些DNA纳米结构的结构，形态，坚固性，样品异质性和其他特性。在本教程审查中，我们将详细介绍静态和动态单分子技术之间的互补性如何提供DNA纳米体系结构的统一图像。我们讨论的单分子方法提供了对化学和结构行为的空前洞察力，不仅产生了平均结果，而且还报告了值的分布，最终表明了整体性能是如何从单个结构的集体行为中产生的。随着DNA纳米技术和单分子表征领域的交织，各学科之间产生了反馈回路，为基于DNA的材料（如传感器，运载工具，机械和结构支架）的开发和操作提供了新的机会。