Rebecca Taylor, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University - Nucleic acid nanotechnologies for the ruggedization and sensorization of cell membranes

Speaker:

Rebecca Taylor, Ph.D.

ANSYS Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University

Faculty Host
Beth Pruitt

Title: Nucleic acid nanotechnologies for the ruggedization and sensorization of cell membranes

Abstract:

Structural DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a powerful approach for the manipulation of lipid membranes on model systems as well as live cells. This approach enables the creation of nanoscale structures and machines that mimic the function of molecular machines and enable molecular inquiry with increasing capability. Because these DNA-based nanostructures are anisotropic, both shape and decoration modulate how they are able to interact with cell membranes. To explore and realize the potential for synthetic biological platforms as sensors and actuators we need to (1) demonstrate compatibility with a range of cell types, (2) expand the capabilities of our design tools and (3) address the stability of these systems in terms of degradation. Accordingly, in this seminar I will present a variety of nanostructural approaches for labeling mechanosensitive cells, assessing glyococalyx health, and modulating cellular biomechanics. I will also discuss how software design limitations can be addressed using emerging automated design approaches. And finally I will introduce peptide nucleic acid (PNA) nanomaterials that may provide improved nanosystem stability in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these advances point to a next generation synthetic biological sensors and actuators that will enable minimally destructive interfaces, novel architectures and building materials that enable enhanced device performance and enzymatic resistance.

Bio:

Rebecca E. Taylor is the ANSYS Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and, by courtesy, of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Her degrees are in Mechanical Engineering with a B.S.E in 2001 from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in 2013 with Prof. Beth Pruitt at Stanford University. During her postdoctoral training she worked in the laboratory of Prof. James Spudich in Biochemistry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She joined the CMU faculty in 2016 and now combines both microfabrication and nanofabrication to create hybrid top-down and bottom-up fabricated sensors and actuators for nanobiosensing, robotics, and advanced manufacturing applications. She is the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F32), the NSF CAREER award, the AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award and the 2021 CMU Dean’s Early Career Fellowship.