A functional DNA liquid

by Omar Saleh (UCSB)

Monday 8 Jul 2019, 16:00 → 17:00 Europe/Rome

Aula 3 (Dip. di Fisica - Edificio e. Fermi)

Living organisms create a variety of complex materials, including liquids, through self-assembly processes, in which biomacromolecules (nucleic acids, proteins) form functional structures through non-covalent binding interactions. We are exploring the mesoscopic physics of such assemblies by creating and studying bio-mimicking liquids formed from DNA nanostars, multi-armed DNA particles that condense through base-pairing interactions. I will discuss our characterization of the materials properties of these DNA liquids, as well as our attempts to functionalize them through infusion with gene-like DNA strands and enzymes.