NYU Chemistry alumnus Brandon Lu (Seeman Lab; BS 2021) will deliver a seminar entitled, "Reconfigurable Semantomorphic 3D DNA Crystals via Non-Canonical Motifs." Hosted by Jim Canary.
Abstract: Structural DNA nanotechnology uses DNA not as a carrier of genetic information but as a programmable self-assembling structure. Current structures primarily rely on Watson-Crick base pairing for its predictability and relative ease of design. However, self-assembly still remains an unpredictable process. As such, in order to increase the size, complexity, and functionality of DNA structures, more information about these interactions must be discovered. In this talk, I will explore reconfiguration in macroscale crystal morphology and specific atomic positioning within the unit cell that are made possible by Ned Seeman's self-assembling 3D DNA crystals. I will be covering my work in hexagonal 3D DNA crystals and metal-mediated DNA base pairing, including the discovery of a cadmium(II) and gold(I) base pair. Studying these non-canonical motifs enables greater flexibility, functionality, and predictability of structural DNA design.