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 connectivity directly into these systems through DNA sequence, structure, and topology – what we term “semantomorphic” science – we expand the design space of structural DNA nanotechnology and establish new rules for supramolecular architecture. Imbuing these structures with various organic and inorganic chemistries and investigating through x-ray crystallography and microscopy, we explore how molecular structure and topological constraints on the nanoscale give rise to emergent electronic, optical, and material properties.
This research enables the development of DNA-based crystalline and hybrid materials for molecular electronics and nanophotonics. Through crystallographic control and encoded shape, we create nanomaterials wherein encoded semantic information dictates structure and function, positioning DNA as a versatile platform for next-generation architected materials.