Bioengineering with (only) DNA

Dave Zhang

2nd Annual Unither Nanomedical and Telemedical Technology Conference

26 Feb 2009

DNA vs. genetic engineering

Genetic engineering DNA engineering

A. Z. Ansari, Nature Chemical Biology,

2007Nanoengineer, by Nanorex

http://nanoengineer-1.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=47

DNA abstraction

Michael Ströck,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DNA_Overview.png

Structures

CiliaCell wall Actin and myosin

C. Daghlian,http://refm.dartmouth.edu/images/mammalianLungSEM/source/9.html

Lacey Samuels,

https://www.biomedia.cellbiology.ubc.ca/cellbiol/user/scripts/qry_media_id.php?media_id=212

http://online-media.uni-marburg.de/histologie/introhis/HIS/txt/muscsem/musc01_sem.htm

E. Winfree, F. Liu, L.A. Wenzler, N.C. Seeman, Nature 1998Y. He, T. Ye, M. Su, C. Zhang, A.E. Ribbe,

W. Jiang, C. Mao, Nature 2008P. Rothemund, Nature 2006

Two-dimensional latticeThree-dimensional shapes

Aperiodic structures

2 um x 8 um500,000 tiles!

Structures

Logic and actuators

Amoeba

Micrographia,http://www.micrographia.com/specbiol/protis/homamoeb/amoe0100/amoeba21.htm

Algae

Yum! Granite

Boolean Logic

Logical processing

D. Y. Zhang, in preparation

Input 1 Input 2

Logical AND gate substrate

Output

Logical processing

D. Y. Zhang, in preparation

Logical processing

Logical processing

NAND gate is universal!

D. Y. Zhang, in preparation

Actuators and motors

B. Yurke, A.J. Turberfield, A.P. Mills, F. C. Simmel, J.L.

Neumann, Nature 2000

Amplification and reproduction

http://www.bunny-rabbits.com/http://www.kindplanet.org/thesanctuary.html

Jeff Hardin,http://worms.zoology.wisc.edu/dd2/echino/cleavage/intro.html

Amplification and reproduction

Spontaneous generationNot really alive:more like crystallization in a supersaturated solution

Cons:

Pro:If we know what we’re looking for, we can amplify its concentration dynamically.

Amplification and reproduction

D. Y. Zhang, A.J. Turberfield, B. Yurke, E. Winfree, Science

2007

Amplification and reproduction

Interaction with general chemistry

Adapted from David Liu’s website:http://evolve.harvard.edu/rschdts.htm#DTS

Z. J. Gartner, B. N. Tse, R. Grubina, J.B. Doyon, T.M. Snyder, D.R. Liu, Science 2004

Small organic group

Boom!Boom!

DNA engineering as a nanomedical tool

•Instrument-free disease detection

•Embedded control of apoptosis

•Control of developmental biology

Parting Thought

http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/images/Carlson(PaceAndProliferation)figure1.gif

Thanks for listening!

(and thanks to the following for their money:)