Rapid and High-Yielding Purification of DNA Self-Assembled Structures by Aqueous Two-Phase System.

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) of dextran and polyethylene glycol (PEG) enable the purification of DNA structures such as DNA origami and DNA nanotubes in times as short as 10 min. This method, which has recovery yields >90% for a typical DNA origami, owes its efficiency to the highly selective partition of the DNA structures in the dextran phase of these emulsions. This purification method is carried out in conditions that promote the structural stability of these structures, making it particularly suitable for DNA nanotechnology. In this protocol, we will describe the materials and methods for purifying DNA origami and quantifying the purification yield by agarose electrophoresis and image analysis.