Dr. Michael Levy
11.07.2024
David Wang Auditorium, 3rd floor Dalia Meidan Bldg.
14:30
The assembly of autonomous artificial cells exhibiting the essential characteristics of life is one of the great scientific goals in both basic research and technology. We combine surface science and biomaterials to design biosynthetic platforms capable of replicating cellular processes. These platforms, based on on-chip technologies and cell-free gene expression, utilize the polyelectrolyte brush properties of dense phases of tethered DNA to form DNA-programmed artificial systems. We will discuss recent progress using these systems, particularly focusing on the autonomous synthesis and assembly of complex cellular machines. Additionally, we will describe an implementation of DNA memory in our platforms through site-specific recombination. Finally, we will investigate how to convert these DNAbased systems into innovative biolab-on-chips for biomedical applications using light-driven digital microfluidics.