Hierarchical Nanoscale Materials Programmed using Structured DNA Nanoparticles
Abstract
Expanding the space of programmed self-assembly of nucleic acids into complex multi-scale structures offers the unique opportunity to engineer hierarchical, functional materials using DNA and RNA as scaffolds to organize secondary molecules including chromophores, metals, photonic elements, enzymes, peptides, and catalytic reactive species for diverse nanotechnology and materials applications. Target applications of relevance to the ONR and warfighter performance include biomimetic light-harvesting antennas inspired by highly efficient biological light- harvesting complexes, multi-enzyme scaffolds to control chemical reactions for biosynthesis and biofuels, plasmonic metamaterials, on-demand pathogen sensors, molecular computing and memory, and next-generation 2D nanoscale electronic, photonic, and excitonic circuits for semiconductor and other applications. In the next funding cycle of this research grant renewal, we seek to enable the large-scale synthesis of hierarchical, DNA-based materials self-assembled from DNA nanoparticles realized in our previous funding cycle. Specifically, the top-down design of arbitrary 2D structured DNA-based assemblies consisting of either infinite or finite extent, periodic or aperiodic structure, with nearly any symmetry conceivable will be realized. High-throughput liquid handling instruments available in the Bathe lab, funded by the DURIP mechanism, will be leveraged to facilitate high-yield self-assembly of crystalline and semi-crystalline DNA nanoparticle arrays on the hundred micron-to-millimeter and -meter-scales. Both two-step assembly and one-step multi scaffold assembly approaches will be explored in the renewal cycle for constructing such superstructures based on our top-down computer-aided design. Finally, we will scale up scaffold production using non-enzymatic, cellular production to facilitate orthogonal, large-scale, and low-cost custom single-stranded DNA scaffold production for use in nucleic acid- based materials. High-throughput screening will allow us to precisely functionalize wireframe DNA origami and their superstructures with functional materials including proteins, photonic, and data storage elements. These approaches will be explored for their ability to preserve structural fidelity while enabling diverse applications in materials science including photonic, plasmonic, electronic, and optical devices, as well as archival data storage and structural biology. This Project Summary is approved for public release.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 04, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142114013
Entities
People
- Mark Bathe
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy