Research Summary
Nature has evolved sophisticated and highly efficient molecular machineries for all forms of lives. Our lab focuses on engineering DNA-nanostructure-based molecular tools for investigating and engineering the naturally occurring molecular events. Those DNA-based tools have made it possible for us to manipulate macromolecules and higher order assemblies with nanometer precision. We expect such research to help elucidate biological questions at the single-molecule level, and in the long run lead to functional synthetic nano-machines that rival natural systems in complexity.
Research themes in our lab include:
Structural DNA Nanotechnology: rational design of self-assembled DNA nanostructure with ever-increasing complexity and size.
Single-Molecule Biophysics: study of biomolecule interactions through DNA-directed self-assembly and other single-molecule techniques.
Biosensing and Imaging: developing nucleic-acid-based barcodes as multiplexed biosensors and/or in situ imaging probes.
Synthetic Biology: rebuild naturally existing machineries (e.g., SNARE complex, nuclear pore, etc.) with artificial components and/or spatial arrangement.
Research Interests
Biophysics; Cell Membrane; Cell Biology; DNA; Lipid Bilayers; Membrane Fusion; Membranes, Artificial; Reference Standards; Nucleic Acid Probes; Biosensing Techniques; Nuclear Pore; Nanotechnology; Nanostructures