We have developed methods for nanostructure fabrication relying on the size and shape of a polynucleotide to dictate the overall structure of an assemblage of individual semiconductor nanoparticles. Use of the circular plasmids pUCLeu4 and φχ 174 when anchored to a suitably derivatized substrate yields arrays of semiconductor nanoparticles matching the shapes of the biopolymer stabilizer. The viability of the methodology was confirmed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction.