Topological Assembly of a Deployable Hoberman Flight Ring from DNA

ABSTRACT Deployable geometries are finite auxetic structures that preserve their overall shapes during expansion and contraction. The topological behaviors emerge from intricately arranged elements and their connections. Despite considerable utility of such configurations in nature and in engineering, deployable nanostructures have never been demonstrated. Here we show a deployable flight ring, a simplified planar structure of Hoberman sphere, using DNA origami. The DNA flight ring consists of topologically assembled six triangles in two layers that can slide against each other, thereby switching between two distinct (open and closed) states. The origami topology is a trefoil knot, and its auxetic reconfiguration results in negative Poisson’s ratios. This work shows the feasibility of deployable nanoarchitectures, providing a versatile platform for topological studies and opening new opportunities for bioengineering.