A dysprosium-based metallo-organic framework (MOF) containing calcium ions formulated as {Dy(pyda)₃Ca_1.5(H₂O)₆} · 5.5H₂O (1) (H₂pyda = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) was solvothermally synthesized in ethanolic medium and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic tools. A detailed structural analysis of the solid state structure of 1 by single crystal X-ray diffraction study showed a tricapped trigonal prism geometry for lanthanide in the [Dy(pyda)3]3− fragment. The mode of interaction of 1 with calf thymus- DNA and with protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by using absorption and emission spectroscopic tools. The apparent association constant of complex 1 with CT-DNA was deduced from an absorption spectral study ($K_b = 4.08 \times 10^4$ M^-1). Spectral and viscosity measurements indicated a groove-binding mode of 1 with CT-DNA, and from spectroscopic study the formation of a metal complex-BSA adduct was assumed to be the result of the interaction of 1 with BSA.