Abstract: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is an exquisite molecule that exists in all living organisms. Through canonical and non-canonical base pairing RNA folds and assembles into diverse structures with rich functionalities such as regulating biological components and biochemical reactions. This presentation will focus on design approaches and experimental techniques to harness the sequence and structure of RNA for the synthesis of artificial multi-stranded RNA nanoarchitectures that form micron-sized assemblies. These assemblies undergo nanoscale organization and range from defined rigid crystalline patterns to amorphous dynamic structures. Functional RNA domains are incorporated into structures and are demonstrated to regulate gene expression as well as recruit and arrange molecules. This research serves as a foundation for the development of a new class of programmable RNA materials that are robust, stimuli-response, and capable of cellular modulation. Ultimately, this work presents insight into RNA self-assembly and how we can engineer RNA as a biomaterial for therapeutic treatments and diagnostic applications.

Biography: Dr. Jaimie Marie Stewart is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research harnesses the structural and functional programmability of RNA to engineer RNA-based materials that interface with and modulate biological systems, with applications in molecular sensing and therapeutics. Prior to UCLA, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her PhD. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Riverside and completed her B.S. in Bioengineering with a concentration in cell and tissue engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Stewart has received numerous honors and awards, including selection as a Stanford Berkeley. UCSF Next Generation Faculty Fellow, the Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship sponsored by Merck, the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Kavli Nanoscience Institute Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Matter-to-Life Seed Grant, and the UCLA Society of Hellman Fellowship.

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