{
  "id": 13391723,
  "title": "A modular DNA toolkit for single-molecule biophysics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/a-modular-dna-toolkit-for-single-molecule-biophysics",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-10T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.09.757888v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A toolkit designed for crafting custom DNA molecules has emerged, revolutionizing single-molecule biophysics. The novel modular DNA (ModDNA) toolkit surpasses traditional approaches, such as the lambda-phage genome, which have constrained variables like sequence uniformity and limited modifiability. By merging computational sequence design with cloning, the ModDNA toolkit now generates long DNA constructs, reaching up to 100 kilobases, with completely user-defined sequences.\n\nThe toolkit employs an in silico sequence design with curated databases to generate a motif-depleted sequence backbone. Users can then insert their desired sequence into any position within this backbone. Subsequently, Golden Gate assembly assembles these sequences into functional constructs. The researchers demonstrate the ability to precisely position local features, such as a fluorophore, a bound protein, and a DNA-origami structure, within these constructs.\n\nThe applications of the ModDNA toolkit are vast, particularly in single-molecule visualization assays. One such example is the visualization of DNA loop extrusion by human condensin I. The toolkit provides a scalable, sequence-programmable alternative to the lambda-DNA and other restrictive substrates, broadening the scope of biophysical research. Moreover, the motif-aware feature-free design encourages connections between single-molecule biophysics and other emerging fields, like machine-guided regulatory-sequence design and synthetic-genome engineering. These interdisciplinary links are becoming increasingly vital as researchers strive to control programmable sequence context.",
  "summary": "Long, customizable DNA molecules are an essential tool for in vitro single-molecule biophysics. Most studies still rely on the {lambda}-phage genome, which has a fixed sequence, a non-uniform GC distribution, and limited options for modification. To overcome these limitations, we developed a modular DNA (ModDNA) toolkit that integrates in silico sequence design with cloning, to create long (up to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}