VIDEO - Gold nanoparticle DNA zippers

North Carolina State University researcher Yaroslava Yingling introduces gold nanoparticles into a solution of double-stranded DNA. The particles are "hairy" -- covered with ligands that hold positive charges -- and eventually catch nearby strands of DNA, which always carries a slight negative charge. Then something unusual happens, as demonstrated in this video simulation. The gold particles were also coated with ligands that are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water in the solution and are attracted to other hydrophobic structures. The particles clump together, and these clumps work together to tease apart the connected strands of double-helix DNA. The research offers potential in a wide variety of fields from gene therapy to DNA-based electronics.