A while back, you asked for open problems to attack. Since that thread is dead, I thought I'd mention a new "open field" here.
I recently came across this tantilizing abstract for a talk to be given at CalTech next week:
DNA Origami
Paul Rothemund Caltech
A key goal for bottom-up nanofabrication has been to generate structures whose complexity matches that achieved by top-down methods. Towards this goal, DNA nanotechnology provides an attractive route. Here I describe a method for folding long single strands of DNA into arbitrary two dimensional target shapes using a raster fill technique. Self-assembled in a one-pot reaction from the 7 kilobase genome of phage M13mp18 and more than 200 synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, the shapes are roughly 100 nm in diameter and nearly 5 megadaltons in mass. (For comparison the eukaroytic ribosome, one of nature's most complex molecular machines, is 4.2 megadaltons in mass.) Experimental shapes approximate target shapes, such as a 5-pointed star, with a resolution of 3.5 to 6 nm and may be decorated by arbitrary patterns at 6 nm resolution to form words or images.
Enabled by a program for laying out complicated designs and, utilizing inexpensive unpurified oligodeoxynucleotides, this method helps move DNA nanotechnology from the realm of research towards that of engineering. The ability to create arbitrary shapes provides a new route to the bottom-up nanofabrication of complex nano-scale devices and instruments. Physicists and materials scientists should be able to use DNA origami to arrange optical, electronic, and mechanical components into novel materials or even an integrated "nano-laboratory" of their choosing. Biologists may be able to use these structures to position proteins and other biomolecules in precise arrangements to study their coupling. Indeed these structures may be thought of as a versatile "nanobreadboard," a simple platform for creating arbitrary nanostructures
I don't know Paul, and I don't understand any of the abstract, but based on the title, DNA Origami:
There HAS to be some cool computational geometry questions here, no?
I will try to review the day's events. the workshop is really about individual interactions, and I don't want to "play reporter" for fear of people not discussing their private work. But I will try to summarize the talks and any interesting new results that are worth talking about.
I really enjoy your content on dna testing and will be back very frequently! I actually have my own dna testing secrets blog with all kinds of secret stuff in it. You're welcome to com by!
- Your talk slides?
ReplyDelete- Beware of eating too much in Dogstool...
Posted by Anonymous
Suresh,
ReplyDeleteA while back, you asked for open problems to attack. Since that thread is dead, I thought I'd mention a new "open field" here.
I recently came across this tantilizing abstract for a talk to be given at CalTech next week:
DNA Origami
Paul Rothemund
Caltech
A key goal for bottom-up nanofabrication has been to generate structures whose complexity matches that achieved by top-down methods. Towards this goal, DNA nanotechnology provides an attractive route. Here I describe a method for folding long single strands of DNA into arbitrary two dimensional target shapes using a raster fill technique. Self-assembled in a one-pot reaction from the 7 kilobase genome of phage M13mp18 and more than 200 synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, the shapes are roughly 100 nm in diameter and nearly 5 megadaltons in mass. (For comparison the eukaroytic ribosome, one of nature's most complex molecular machines, is 4.2 megadaltons in mass.) Experimental shapes approximate target shapes, such as a 5-pointed star, with a resolution of 3.5 to 6 nm and may be decorated by arbitrary patterns at 6 nm resolution to form words or images.
Enabled by a program for laying out complicated designs and, utilizing inexpensive unpurified oligodeoxynucleotides, this method helps move DNA nanotechnology from the realm of research towards that of engineering. The ability to create arbitrary shapes provides a new route to the bottom-up nanofabrication of complex nano-scale devices and instruments. Physicists and materials scientists should be able to use DNA origami to arrange optical, electronic, and mechanical components into novel materials or even an integrated "nano-laboratory" of their choosing. Biologists may be able to use these structures to position proteins and other biomolecules in precise arrangements to study their coupling. Indeed these structures may be thought of as a versatile "nanobreadboard," a simple platform for creating arbitrary nanostructures
I don't know Paul, and I don't understand any of the abstract, but based on the title, DNA Origami:
There HAS to be some cool computational geometry questions here, no?
Posted by Anonymous
Will there be a post reviewing the workshop?
ReplyDeletePosted by Anonymous
I will try to review the day's events. the workshop is really about individual interactions, and I don't want to "play reporter" for fear of people not discussing their private work. But I will try to summarize the talks and any interesting new results that are worth talking about.
ReplyDeletePosted by Suresh
I really enjoy your content on dna testing and will be back very frequently! I actually have my own dna testing secrets blog with all kinds of secret stuff in it. You're welcome to com by!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your information on dna testing. I have a dna testing blog if you want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI really like your conversation on dna testing. I have a dna testing secrets blog if you wanna come on over and check my stuff out.
ReplyDeleteanna, too much comments about dna testing secrets...
ReplyDelete