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

合作研究：DNA 自组装——实验和理论基础

• 批准号: 0323766
• 负责人: Ashish Goel
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-08-01 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0323766&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; DNA; Self; Assembly

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.

该项目的实验部分侧重于三维DNA“晶体”的构建，其目标是创建具有预定形状的大型无差错晶体。具体地说，正在尝试控制晶体切面的相对长度和相邻切面之间的角度。这项研究可能最终导致三维计算机的构建，将我们从目前由硅施加的二维限制中解放出来。另一个潜在的应用可能是用荧光团或量子点“腌制”3d晶体，用于制造新型光学或量子器件。理论上的努力是为了产生对控制自组装的基本过程的理解，以及指导实际和实验系统设计的新算法的发展。DNA的功能在很大程度上是由其组合结构决定的，这使得算法技术特别适合于DNA自组装的理论研究。作为这个项目的一部分，正在开发两门关于自组装的新课程，一门在斯坦福大学，另一门在南加州大学，在分子自组装：模型和算法领域。这一系列课程的课堂讲稿将提供给科学界。