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DE-SC0019752: Programmable Dynamic Self-Assembly of DNA Nanostructures

Award Status: Active
  • Institution: Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
  • UEI: RN64EPNH8JC6
  • DUNS: 092530369
  • Most Recent Award Date: 04/13/2023
  • Number of Support Periods: 5
  • PM: Gimm, Aura
  • Current Budget Period: 06/15/2023 - 06/14/2024
  • Current Project Period: 06/15/2022 - 06/14/2025
  • PI: Franco, Elisa
  • Supplement Budget Period: N/A
 

Public Abstract

Biological cells take in energy from the environment and use it to perform a variety of multi-step physical operations in parallel. For example, cell division requires the timed, coordinated assembly of filaments (actin and microtubules) that sort and partition other components, deform and split the cell, and restore the cellular organization before the next division event. This requires multiple chemical reactions that harness and store energy, and finally dissipate energy in processes such as polymerization to generate dynamic pulling and pushing forces. This coordinated architecture enables the repeated execution of behaviors, such as microscopic motion, transport, and self-repair, by molecular components that are organized by chemical reactions. 

The development of artificial active biomolecular materials that can, like those in living systems, programmatically form, reorganize and perform specified mechanical work is a grand challenge. Such synthetic materials could recapitulate the remarkable efficiency and effectiveness of active biological materials. Further, their properties may be customized to perform a variety of useful tasks in different physical and chemical conditions, and across different length and time scales. The central goal of this proposal is to address this grand challenge by developing design rules and experimental methods for building multicomponent, customizable artificial active biomolecular materials that can be programmed to form specific tasks involving mechanical work. The project will integrate computational modeling, design, and experimental efforts. The PIs will take advantage of this suite of nucleic acid components and tools to demonstrate microscopic materials that can self-organize, and move or deform target parts, by dissipating energy harvested from the environment through the collective interaction of components that sense, signal, and assemble. 

This research will enable a leap forward in our understanding of how to design hierarchical materials that can perform work via the interplay of chemical and physical components operating over multiple scales. Expected outcomes include a computational and theoretical framework to facilitate the exploration of structural and chemical reaction designs, and a library of modular structural and biochemical nucleic acid parts. These parts can be easily interfaced with other nanoscale materials through well-known chemistries and provide a unique scaffolding platform that can bind to, spatially organize, and physically move such materials with programmable and autonomous kinetic programs.








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