Patent ID: 7632641

Claim:
A method of forming a structure comprising hybridized nucleic acid monomers, the method comprising: a) providing an initiator comprising a nucleic acid initiation region and first complementary region; b) providing a first nucleic acid hairpin monomer comprising: i) a first duplex region comprising second and third complementary stem regions, wherein the second complementary region is substantially complementary to the first complementary region of the initiator, ii) a first hairpin loop region at an end of the first duplex region, wherein said first hairpin loop region is closed by a single base pair, and iii) an initiator complement region that comprises a sticky end and that is substantially complementary to the initiation region of the initiator; (c) providing a second nucleic acid hairpin monomer comprising: i) a second duplex region comprising fourth and fifth complementary stem regions, ii) a second sticky end region that is substantially complementary to the first hairpin loop region of the first monomer, and iii) a second hairpin loop region that is substantially complementary to the sticky end of the initiator complement region of the first monomer; wherein the first and second monomers hybridize in a chain reaction upon binding of the initiator to the first monomer.