Project Description

DNA self-assembly is a bottom-up manufacturing strategy with unprecedented programmability and structural predictability. This approach has been exploited for creating engineered nanoscale systems such as architected devices and dynamic machines. DNA can also be coated or conjugated with functional materials. However, DNA assemblies have been limited to small lengthscale, mostly 100 nm or less. We recently discovered powerful strategies to assemble DNA motifs into large-scale crystals in two or three dimensions. Leveraging our findings, this research aims to create functional materials (such as semiconductors, metals, polymers, imaging agents, and therapeutic molecules) using DNA crystals as a template and study their structural, mechanical, chemical, and physical properties. We will explore them in diverse applications including nanoelectronics, photonics, catalysis, energy, sensors, bioimaging, and medicine. This multidisciplinary project will integrate experiments (wet chemistry and precision measurement) with numerical simulations. A coarse-grained DNA model will be used for molecular dynamics simulations to design and study DNA assemblies. The proposed work will contribute to the scientific community with new knowledge (e.g., structure-property relationship in DNA-templated materials) and transform industries with programmable constructs and functional devices. 

Start Date

Summer 2025

Post Doc Qualifications

PhD in Engineering or Chemistry
Research topics in DNA nanotechnology and/or materials science
Strong publications

Co-Advisors

Jong Hyun Choi, Mechanical Engineering
Chengde Mao, Chemistry

Bibliography

1. M. Zheng, Z. Li, L. Liu, M. Li, V.E. Paluzzi, J.H. Choi, C. Mao, Kinetic DNA Self-assembly: Simultaneously Co-folding Complementary DNA Strands into Identical Nanostructures, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 143, 20363-20367 (2021)
2. R. Li, M. Zheng, A.S. Madhvacharyula, Y. Du, C. Mao, J.H. Choi, Mechanical Deformation Behaviors and Structural Properties of Ligated DNA Crystals, Biophysical Journal, 121, 4078-4090 (2022)
3. C. Zhang, J. Zhao, B. Lu, N.C. Seeman, R. Sha, N. Noinaj, C. Mao, Engineering DNA Crystals toward Studying DNA-Guest Molecule Interactions, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145, 4853, 4859 (2023)
4. C. Zhang, V.E. Paluzzi, R. Sha, N. Jonoska, C. Mao, Implementing Logic Gates by DNA Crystal Engineering, Advanced Materials 35, 2302345 (2023)
5. R. Li, A.S. Madhvacharyula, Y. Du, H.K. Adepu, and J.H. Choi, Mechanics of Dynamic and Deformable DNA Nanostructures, Chemical Science, 14, 8018-8046 (2023)