Supramolecular DNA Hydrogels
Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University
Biography：Dongsheng Liu learned polymer sciences in University of Science and Technology of China and graduated with a B.S. degree in 1993. He then worked as a research associate in the Institute of Chemistry, CAS for six years and earned his Master degree on polymer chemistry in 1999. From 1999 to 2002, he finished his Ph.D study on the self-templated DNA circularization in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the supervision of Professor Albert S. C. Chan. In 2003, he joined the Chemistry Department of Cambridge University as a postdoc research associate, worked on DNA nanotechnology with Professor Shankar Balasubramanian. In 2005, he joined the National Centre for NanoScience and Technology, China as a principle investigator and in June 2009, he moved to the Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University as a full professor. He was awarded the 1st “CCS-RSC Young Chemist Award” in 2008 and was invited as FRSC in 2011, the 7th CCS-BASF Youth Innovation Prize in2014. His research mainly focuses on DNA molecular machines and DNA based smart materials.
Abstract：The reversible respnsiveness of DNA secondary structures to environmental stimuli has enable to facilitate responsive devices and materials based on pure DNA or hybrid systems. Based on sequence and structure design, we have prepared kinds of pure or hybrid DNA supramolecular hydrogels, which could be formed under physiological condition within a minute at room temperature and without using any organic solvents. By tailoring the length of “sticky ends” of DNA linker, mechanical property of the hydrogel could be varied from hundreds to thousands Pa (G’, storage modulus); we also found that the viability of cell in a 4 mm diameter hydrogel is nearly 100% after 24 hours incubation from top in plastic tubes. These hydrogels possess extraordinary healing and fast-responding thixotropic properties, which make them injectable and writable. Because the formations of such hydrogels are based on DNA assembly, by DNA sequence design, they could be easily conferred excellent responsiveness including pH, DNA restriction enzymes, temperature etc., and enable easy removal after cell culture. In addition, we will show their application in 3D cell printing.
Time: Sept. 22nd, 2015, 15:30
Venue: New Biology Building, Room 143
