OSU Student Shapes DNA Into Script Ohio And It's Awesome

You've never seen Script Ohio done quite like this before.

Mike Hudoba, an Ohio State student, recently shaped strands of DNA into Script Ohio upon a return from Germany where he presented a paper on DNA origami, according to this story from the Columbus Dispatch.

The work put in was not easy, as one might expect. According to the Dispatch story, Hudoba calculated he needed 8,064 DNA bases split into seven parts. He then had to learn how to bend and shape the DNA into cursive letters. The Best Damn Band in the Land has 192 members on gameday, which just so happens to divide perfectly into the 8,064 bases he needed.

Here's more from the Dispatch story:

Hudoba was ready to try his calculations in real life. He programmed the DNA and then put it into a lab machine that melts the bonds between the DNA helixes. He and Castro played the OSU fight song while the machine did its work. Then they brought the DNA back out into the lab. If all went according to Hudoba’s plan, as the DNA cooled, it would form into Script Ohio.

They waited about 2 1/2 days and then sent the DNA to a larger microscope across campus, which would take photographs.

When Hudoba scrolled through the first photographs, he was disappointed to see that none of the DNA had bonded the way he’d wanted. But when Castro scrolled through the same photos, he realized what Hudoba had missed: A DNA strand had formed into Script Ohio, but the photo had been taken from behind.

Castro flipped the image, and boom: Script Ohio DNA.

Hudoba's efforts had him recognized by Guinness World Records and his creation can be seen below thanks to his Twitter account: