学术报告第201931期

报告题目：Design, control, and applications of DNA nanomechanical devices

报 告 人：Carlos Castro

报告时间：2019年5月30日上午10:30

报告地点：南一楼中311室

邀 请 人：潘林强

报告人简介：Carlos Castro，俄亥俄州立大学机械航天工程系副教授。2009 年在美国麻省理工学院机械工程系获博士学位，2011年在洪堡基金资助下于慕尼黑工业大学完成博士后研究。主要从事DNA纳米机器人、DNA纳米机械装置的制造及在生物医学工程中的应用等研究，在Advanced Materials、ACS Nano等国际期刊发表文章30余篇。

报告摘要：Structural DNA nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging field with exciting potential for applications such as single molecule sensing, drug delivery, and manipulating molecular components. However, realizing the functional potential of DNA nanomachines, and ultimately nanorobots, requires the ability to design dynamic mechanical behavior such as complex motion, conformational dynamics, or force generation. Our lab has developed approaches to design and construct DNA nanostructures with programmable 1D, 2D, and 3D motion as well as dynamic nanostructures with programmed or externally controlled conformational dynamics. We have also recently developed methods to manipulate dynamic DNA nanodevices via external magnetic fields. This approach relies on coupling the motion of micron-scale magnetic beads to nanoscale DNA machines via a long mechanical lever arm made from an array of highly stiff DNA origami structures. We demonstrated the ability to drive continuous or oscillating rotational motions of nanoscale devices up to several Hz. Moving forward, we aim to develop devices where nanoscale dynamic behavior (i.e. motion, conformational distributions, and kinetics) can be exploited to probe physical properties or manipulate nanoscale components or molecular interactions in real time. I will also highlight two ongoing projects in our lab implementing DNA nanodevices to probe the structure and dynamics of nucleosomes and to engineer cell surface functions such as intercellular adhesion and biomolecule sensing.