Measurement of Nanomechanical Properties of DNA Molecules by PeakForce Atomic Force Microscopy Based on DNA Origami.

Characterization of the stiffness of thin DNA strands remains difficult. By constructing bilayer DNA molecules, we investigated their mechanical properties using AFM. Increased DNA thickness through DNA origami greatly reduced the substrate effect when measuring Young's modulus, thus providing a more accurate picture of the inherent nanomechanical properties of DNA.