{
  "id": 5463579,
  "title": "Programmable Self-Assembly of RNA Nanostructures with >100 Unique Components",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/programmable-self-assembly-of-rna-nanostructures-with-100-unique",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-03T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.748990v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have developed a method to create complex RNA nanostructures using a technique called dsRNA bricks. This innovative approach overcomes the limitations faced when trying to replicate the capabilities of DNA-based systems like DNA origami and DNA bricks. The dsRNA bricks method involves encoding multiple RNA components within a single precursor transcript, which are then released and self-assemble through programmed interactions. These interactions involve double-stranded regions that provide enhanced stability compared to single-stranded RNA. By utilizing this technique, researchers have successfully constructed intricate two- and three-dimensional RNA structures containing over 100 distinct components. This pioneering work demonstrates the potential for creating sophisticated RNA materials and devices with a level of complexity that rivals DNA-based systems, paving the way for new applications in programmable RNA technology.",
  "summary": "Sophisticated biomolecular functions often arise from large, precisely organized architectures, motivating efforts to construct increasingly complex structures through programmed nucleic acid self-assembly. Although RNA offers a richer repertoire of structural motifs and biological functions than DNA, RNA nanostructures constructed to date have remained substantially less complex and less…",
  "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."
}