Events Calendar

Programming Materials to Self-Replicate and Assemble Into Adaptive Geometries

Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Schulman,

Talk Title: Programming Materials to Self-Replicate and Assemble Into Adaptive Geometries

Abstract: It is a grand challenge to understand how to engineer molecular reaction systems whichhave the self-assembled, dynamic structure and directed information flow of even thesimplest biological cells. Synthetic DNA is a model material for this endeavor: DNAreaction rates and sequence-specific affinities are well-characterized, and we can predictand design the 2- and 3-dimensional structures of the products. I'll describe how we canuse synthetic DNA to design an autonomous, enzyme-free system for chemical sequencereplication in which the replicated information consists of stripes or arrays of different 14x3nanometers bricks within a 2D lattice. These replicatable lattice patterns are suitable forwaveguide or protein array templates. The cytoskeleton creates dynamic, adaptive structurein eukaryotic cells based on local rules. I'll also describe some work toward creating arationally engineered, cytoskeleton-like material made from DNA nanotube filaments. Onebasic construction primitive for this material is the assembly of filaments such that theybridge fixed start and destination points. I'll show how we can template the growth offilaments from a "start" chemical marker, how growing filaments can attach to a "finish"marker, and briefly discuss how we could use this system to create self-guiding wires.

Biography: Rebecca Schulman is a Miller Research Fellow in the physics department at the University ofCalifornia Berkeley. She received undergraduate degrees in computer science and mathematicsfrom MIT and a PhD in computation and neural systems at Caltech, where she studied underErik Winfree. Dr. Schulman applies ideas from chemical engineering, electrical engineering,material science and biophysics to the design of programmable soft materials.

Host: Sr. Assoc. Dean Timothy Pinkston

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Jennifer Walters-Munoz