Event

A holy grail of nano-technology is to create truly complex, multi-component structures by self-assembly. Most self-assembly has focused on the creation of "structural complexity." In my talk, I will discuss "Addressable Complexity": the creation of structures that contain hundreds or thousands of distinct building blocks that all must find their place in a 3D structure. Recent experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of making such structures. Simulation and theory yield surprising insights that can inform the design of novel structures and materials [1]. The insights obtained from DNA-mediated self-assembly may help design better drug-delivery vehicles.

[1] William M. Jacobs and Daan Frenkel, Self-Assembly of Structures with Addressable Complexity, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138 (8), pp 2457–2467