MEMS/MatSci Seminar: DNA as a programmable nanomaterial

A key challenge in nanotechnology is to design and fabricate nanostructures and nanodevices, which can be used as general platforms for basic science research (e.g. material sciences, structural biology, molecular biology, etc.), and for practical applications. Owing largely to its programmable design strategies, nucleic acids self-assembly, and in particular DNA self-assembly, has emerged as a powerful approach in programming self-assembly of custom-designed intricate nanostructures.

The core mission of our lab (ke-lab.gatech.edu) is to develop novel bottom-up self-assembly strategies to fully demonstrate the potential of DNA as a programable nanomaterial. Our most recent work focuses on making massive/complex static DNA nanostructures and dynamic DNA devices. In this talk, I will discuss how we can construct fully addressable GDa nanostructures from modular DNA components called DNA bricks, and dynamic DNA nanomachines that can perform a range of controlled motions at nanoscale. Beyond sophisticated nanostructures and nanomachinces, DNA nanotechnology has found increasing capabilities in many applications, such as fabrication of functional materials at nanoscale precision. As examples of DNA-based applications, I will also present some of our most recent works on DNA-templated self-assembly of nanoparticles, and on DNA-based nanoscale drug delivery systems.