Surface-immobilized bistable polynucleotide devices for the sensing and quantification of molecular events

A structure comprising a bistable molecular sensor for optical or electronic detection of an external stimulus on a surface, the bistable molecular sensor having a polynucleotide platform, comprising:

• a first polynucleotide shape and a second polynucleotide shape with a flexible hinge or flexible linker therebetween, one of the first polynucleotide shape or the second polynucleotide shape being immobilized on the surface rendering an immobilized polynucleotide shape and a tethered polynucleotide shape;
• and
• one or more functional molecules bound to at least one of the first polynucleotide shape and the second polynucleotide shape,
• the bistable molecular sensor having one of two states, the two states being a closed state and an open state, wherein:
• in the open state, the tethered polynucleotide shape moves freely with respect to the second polynucleotide shape as constrained by the flexible hinge or flexible linker;
• and
• in the closed state, the tethered polynucleotide shape is proximally positioned to the immobilized polynucleotide shape, and
• the polynucleotide platform being selected from a scaffolded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) origami, scaffolded ribonucleic acid (RNA) origami, scaffolded hybrid DNA:RNA origami, single-stranded DNA tiles, multi-stranded DNA tiles, single-stranded RNA origami, multi-stranded RNA tiles, or hierarchically composed DNA or RNA origami with multiple scaffolds.