COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DNA Self-Assembly -- Experimentation and Theoretical Foundations

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The experimental part of this project is focusing on the construction of 3-dimensional DNA "crystals" where the goal is to create large error-free crystals of predetermined shape. In particular, control of the relative lengths of crystal facets and the angles between adjacent facets is being attempted. This research may ultimately lead to the construction of 3-dimensional computers, freeing us from the 2-dimensional restriction currently imposed by silicon. Another potential application might be 3-D crystals "salted" with flourophors or quantum dots for the creation of novel optical or quantum devices. The theoretical efforts are directed toward generating an understanding of the fundamental processes that govern self-assembly, and the development of new algorithms that will guide the design of practical and experimental systems. The functionality of DNA is determined, to a large extent, by its combinatorial structure, making algorithmic techniques particularly well suited for a theoretical study of DNA self-assembly.As part of this project, two new courses on self-assembly are being developed, one at Stanford University and one at University of Southern California in the area of Molecular Self-Assembly: Models and Algorithms. The lecture notes from this sequence of courses will be made available to the scientific community.