Professor Dong-Hwan Kim and his research team in the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Dr. Yoojin Oh and Professor Peter Hinterdorfer from Johannes Kepler University Linz, have developed an innovative vertical DNA nanopatterning platform through international joint research.

The team successfully harnessed the self-assembly properties of DNA tile-based nanostructures to create uniform, high-density surfaces with multiple receptor sites across large areas. By introducing a stepwise growth process that includes low-temperature annealing, they achieved precise control over the spacing and density of vertically aligned DNA structures, attaining surface coverage rates exceeding 98%.

To demonstrate functional applicability, the team introduced thrombin-binding aptamers (TBA15) onto the vertical structures, enabling selective target binding and fluorescence signal generation. The results showed a significant enhancement in surface sensitivity and uniformity, making the platform suitable for applications in surface plasmon resonance (SPR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and high-throughput biosensing. The precise spacing between receptors reduces the effects of random orientation and signal variability, ensuring high reproducibility and signal-to-noise ratios.

This study highlights the scalability of DNA nanotechnology for constructing functional surfaces with both nanoscale precision and macroscale uniformity. The newly developed vertical DNA array platform is expected to find broad utility in biosensors, advanced diagnostic devices, and optoelectronic systems.