Research

The Canary and Sha lab develops strategies that use DNA as a programmable chemical scaffold for precision organic synthesis. Leveraging DNA nanoarchitectures as massively parallel reaction platforms, we enable localized catalytic control over diverse, orthogonal reactions. By integrating catalytic precision with spatially encoded DNA scaffolds and metal-mediated electronic programmability, our research explored specialized components designed...

Metal-Mediated DNA Memory We explore DNA architectures in which metal coordination enables electrically addressable, memory-like behavior. By incorporating metal-mediated base pairing and coordination motifs into designed DNA lattices, we investigate mechanisms for information storage, switching, and signal retention at the molecular scale. Liu, B.; et al. Electrical Control of a Metal-Mediated DNA Memory, Matter (2025);...

The Canary and Sha Lab explore DNA as a programmable engineering material for constructing three-dimensional nanoarchitectures with precisely defined geometry, symmetry, and topology. Using robust, branched, and composable DNA motifs capable of macroscopic crystallization, we design self-assembling and mesoporous frameworks that organize matter with atomic  precision and predictable long-range order. By encoding shape, symmetry, and...