Watson and Crick first described the sequence and structural features of double-helical DNA nearly 70 years ago. Since then, a variety of alternative nucleic acid conformations have been shown to form through either the folding of a single-strand or the association of three, four, or many strands of nucleic acids. The formation of these structures in biological DNA, such as triplexes and quadruplexes, has been shown to play a role in the regulation of gene expression and linked to cancer and other genetic disorders. In addition, the engineering of multistranded complexes by crossover strand exchange has been exploited for the bottom up self-assembly of nanoscale objects, lattices, and devices from synthetic oligonucleotides or DNA origami.

Molecular biology tools such as nanopore sensors, DNA sequencing, and AI-enabled prediction tools such as AlphaFold have created a powerful toolset for further exploring the biological role of such non-canonical DNA structures. Open-source software has been developed to aid with the engineering of DNA nanostructures and has been coupled with improvements in their characterisation by microscopy. Our understanding of the roles and applications of these molecules has improved in recent years there is still much to discover.

This meeting will aim to bring together researchers within the fields of biochemistry, genome biology, biotechnology, biophysics, and molecular biology with a specific interest in the study of alternative multistranded nucleic structures. Research talks will be organised into the three main themes: 1) Triplex structures; 2) Quadruplex structures; 3) Applications for multistrand structures (e.g., DNA origami, junctions, biosensors, etc.). This will enable a discussion of the current state of the art, development of novel ideas and research collaborations, and a sharing of ideas to help further develop the field towards addressing some of the most important questions in biology today.


Location: London, UK