CBE Seminar: “Investigating Biomedical Challenges Through State-of-the-Art DNA-based Technology”

Abstract

DNA can serve purposes beyond conveying hereditary information – its highly specific Watson-Crick base pairing can also be used to direct the assembly of cells, nanoparticles, and proteins. Recently developed in the Sohn lab [1], high-throughput DNA-directed patterning takes advantage of the versatile and iterative aspects of photolithography to define clearly regions on an aldehyde-functionalized slide to which amine-terminated 20 nucleotide oligonucleotides are conjugated. By tagging antibodies, liposomes, or cells with the complementary oligonucleotide, I can create patterns with high spatial resolution. In this talk, I will demonstrate the versatility of high-throughput DNA-directed patterning through disparate applications, including the immobilization of antibodies [2], the validation of a liposome model of SARS-CoV-2 [3], and an in vitro model of the tumor microenvironment. The advantages afforded by this technique enable me to validate ACE2-binding and antibody neutralization of different variant model liposomes and to study interactions of the multiple types of cells found in the bone marrow. By controlling the organization of cells with single-cell resolution and the ability to configure heterogeneous cellular environments, DNA-directed patterning presents opportunities in the study of high complexity biomedical challenges.