Seminar: Engineering DNA origami Nanostructures for Medicine and Biology

Dr. Christopher Lucas, The Ohio State University

All dates for this event occur in the past.

E100 Scott Lab
E100 Scott Lab
201 W. 19th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Abstract

 

Scaffolded DNA origami is a molecular self-assembly nanoengineering process that allows for the formation of custom-designed 2- and 3-dimensional DNA objects at the nanoscale. The technology offers unprecedented shape control as well as the ability to functionalize DNA nanostructures in a spatially dependent manner with a variety of biological molecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, as well as small and inorganic molecules. The ability to control shape and biomolecular functionality with nanometer precision offers a custom-built molecular toolkit to probe a variety of biological systems. In addition, since DNA is inherently biocompatible, DNA origami nanostructures are excellent candidates for nanomedicine, including drug delivery applications. Therefore, our recent efforts have focused on the development of DNA nanostructures as a novel drug delivery system against leukemia cells and on exploring biophysical phenomena at the single cell level.

 

This seminar will begin with an introduction to Structural DNA Nanotechnology with an emphasis on the Scaffolded DNA origami fabrication process. Subsequently, the emerging role of DNA origami nanostructures as drug delivery devices will be described with a focus on our recent evidence that suggests a rod-shaped ‘Trojan Horse’ DNA origami nanostructure loaded with the small molecule, daunorubicin, circumvents multi-drug resistance mechanisms in leukemia cells. Next, the employment of DNA origami nanostructures as tools to study biological systems will be discussed including recent findings with an antibody-functionalized platform DNA nanostructure used to study receptor-induced intracellular signaling. The seminar will conclude with other emerging applications of DNA origami nanostructures including biosensing, nanomechanical measurement devices, and plasmonics. 

About the Speaker

Christopher Lucas did his undergraduate in Biochemistry and his graduate work in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at The Ohio State University. He conducted his dissertation research in Molecular and Cellular Immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Virginia Sanders studying molecular mechanisms of antibody regulation by a B cell as a Pelotonia Fellow. Currently, he is appointed Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Nanoengineering and Biodesign Laboratory within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University under the mentorship of Dr. Carlos Castro. He is co-advised by leading Hematologist and Distinguished University Professor, Dr. John Byrd. His research, under the direction of Drs. Castro and Byrd focuses on developing novel DNA origami nanostructures for biomedical applications including studying pro-growth and –survival intracellular signaling cascades in B cell cancers and developing novel drug delivery systems for leukemia. He aspires to become a leading researcher in nanomedicine. 

Hosted by Professor Carlos Castro