Templated nanoconjugates

1. A composition comprising a nanoconjugate, the nanoconjugate having a defined structure and comprising a plurality of polynucleotides crosslinked to each other in a monolayer, said structure defined by a surface providing a template upon which the structure is assembled.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the surface is a nanoparticle.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein each polynucleotide in the plurality of polynucleotides is the same.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises a plurality of nanoconjugates, and the plurality of polynucleotides is monodisperse.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the monodispersity is such that there is about 25% variation in the diameter of the plurality of nanoconjugates.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoconjugate further comprises an additional agent selected from the group consisting of a polynucleotide, peptide, polypeptide, phospholipid, oligosaccharide, metal complex, small molecule, therapeutic agent, contrast agent and combinations thereof.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the additional agent is associated with at least one polynucleotide of the plurality of polynucleotides.

8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the additional agent is associated with at least one biomolecule polynucleotide of the plurality of polynucleotides through hybridization, or the additional agent is covalently associated with at least one biomolecule of the plurality of biomolecules, or the additional agent is entrapped in the crosslinked biomolecules of the nanoconjugate.

9. A method of crosslinking a structured nanoconjugate, the method comprising the step of activating a first biomolecule which is a polynucleotide by contacting the first biomolecule with a surface, the activation allowing the first biomolecule to crosslink to a second biomolecule.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the surface provides a template upon which the structure is assembled.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the surface is a nanoparticle.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the surface is at least partially removed after the crosslinking.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the second biomolecule is selected from the group consisting of a polynucleotide, peptide, polypeptide, phospholipid, oligosaccharide, small molecule, therapeutic agent, contrast agent and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule each comprise at least one alkyne moiety, or wherein the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule each comprise about 10 alkyne moieties.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the alkyne moiety is activated upon contact with the surface.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the activation renders the alkyne susceptible to a nucleophile.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein activation causes crosslinking of the first biomolecule to the second biomolecule.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule are a a DNA polynucleotide or a RNA polynucleotide.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein an additional agent is added to the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule during the activating step, or wherein an additional agent is added to the nanoconjugate after formation of the nanoconjugate but before the at least partial removal of the surface or wherein an additional agent is added to the nanoconjugate after formation of the nanoconjugate and after the at least partial removal of the surface.

20. A composition comprising a polyvalent nanoconjugate comprising a surface, the nanoconjugate further comprising a plurality of polynucleotides wherein a spacer end of each of the polynucleotides in the plurality is modified such that contacting the plurality of polynucleotides with a chemical crosslinks the plurality of polynucleotides to each other.

21. The composition of claim 20 wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of an amine, amide, alcohol, ester, aldehyde, ketone, thiol, disulfide, carboxylic acid, phenol, imidazole, hydrazine, hydrazone, azide and an alkyne.

22. The composition of claim 20 wherein the surface comprises a nanoparticle.

23. A method of detecting a target molecule comprising contacting the target molecule with the composition of claim 1 , wherein contact between the target molecule and the composition results in a detectable change.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the detecting is in vitro.

25. A method of inhibiting expression of a gene product encoded by a target polynucleotide comprising contacting the target polynucleotide with a composition of claim 1 under conditions sufficient to inhibit expression of the gene product.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein expression of the gene product is inhibited in vivo.

27. The composition of claim 4 wherein the monodispersity is such that there is about 10% variation in the diameter of the plurality of nanoconjugates.

28. The composition of claim 4 wherein the monodispersity is such that there is about 1% variation in the diameter of the plurality of nanoconjugates.

29. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface is at least partially removed after the structure has been defined.

30. The composition of claim 29 wherein the surface is a nanoparticle.

31. The composition of claim 29 wherein each polynucleotide in the plurality of polynucleotides is the same.

32. The composition of claim 29 wherein the nanoconjugate further comprises an additional agent selected from the group consisting of a polynucleotide, peptide, polypeptide, phospholipid, oligosaccharide, metal complex, small molecule, therapeutic agent, contrast agent and combinations thereof.

33. The composition of claim 29 wherein the additional agent is associated with at least one polynucleotide of the plurality of polynucleotides.

34. The composition of claim 29 wherein the nanoconjugate is hollow in the absence of the surface.

35. The composition of claim 34 wherein an additional agent is encapsulated in the nanoconjugate which is otherwise hollow.

36. The composition of claim 20 wherein the surface is at least partially removed after the crosslinking.

37. The composition of claim 36 wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of an amine, amide, alcohol, ester, aldehyde, ketone, thiol, disulfide, carboxylic acid, phenol, imidazole, hydrazine, hydrazone, azide and an alkyne.

38. The method of claim 23 wherein the detecting is in vivo.

39. The method of claim 25 wherein expression of the gene product is inhibited in vitro.

40. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of DNA and RNA.

41. The composition of claim 40 wherein the DNA is double stranded.

42. The composition of claim 40 wherein the RNA is small interfering RNA (siRNA).

43. The composition of claim 20 wherein the polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of DNA and RNA.

44. The composition of claim 43 wherein the DNA is double stranded.

45. The composition of claim 43 wherein the RNA is small interfering RNA (siRNA).