TITLE: Sensing and applying multi-axial tension to biomolecules using molecular devices built from DNA.
ABSTRACT: DNA nanotechnology enables the construction of molecular devices for diverse biomedical applications. By leveraging DNA’s exquisite positional control, researchers can engineer sophisticated nanostructures that execute a range of tasks. In this talk, I will present 2 DNA-based devices: an amphiphilic double-stranded DNA sensor for non-destructive detection of cytosolic biomarkers and a DNA origami platform for multi-axial mechanical manipulation of biomolecules. In the first part of my talk, I will show synthetic transmembrane devices inspired by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that transduce signals across cell membranes. These amphiphilic DNA nanodevices detect specific intracellular oligonucleotides, generating fluorescent signals without cell lysis and genetic engineering. In the second half of the talk, I will present some recent results on a Holliday junction, a model system in biophysics, under multi-axial tension using the Multi-Axial Entropic Spring Tweezer along Rigid Origami (MAESTRO). This molecular tool, which exploits the entropic elasticity of single-stranded DNA, uncovers the non-ergodicity of Holliday junction dynamics. The talk concludes with a discussion on the potential applications of these devices, including their use in high-throughput single-molecule biophysics of integrin signaling, cryo-EM structural studies of integrins under tension, and live-cell isolation targeting RNA markers.
