For the initial test structure, the goal was to allow the wing to
twist in a precise way that would substitute for the motion of separate structural pieces (such as the small ailerons at the trailing edges of conventional wings), while providing a single, smooth aerodynamic surface.
This nanoscale construction approach takes advantage of two key characteristics of the DNA molecule: the
twisted - ladder double helix shape, and the natural tendency of strands with complementary bases (the A, T, G, and C letters of the genetic code) to pair up
in a
precise way.