Dr. Elisha Krieg
Technical University Dresden

Synthetic chemistry has enabled the creation of materials with remarkable properties, yet these often lack the dynamic nature exhibited by biological systems. In contrast, living matter is self-organizing and responsive, which is critical for processes such as cell differentiation, sensing, transport, actuation, structural support, and—more broadly—adaptation to internal and external stimuli. Intriguingly, the field of DNA nanotechnology has opened new avenues for engineering soft matter with a range of functionalities reminiscent of those found in biological systems. These materials have begun to emulate key cellular mechanisms, including the modulation of viscoelastic properties in the extracellular matrix, cytoskeletal shape changes, control of molecular transport, and the localization of processes in biomolecular condensates.

In this talk, I will describe our progress in developing programmable soft materials and highlight two recent examples. First, I will introduce a precision matrix for culturing cells and organoids. By integrating customizable mechanics with predictable, responsive features, this matrix both guides and probes cellular development. Second, I will present an exotic form of soft matter that self-assembles from over 16,000 unique molecular components. This material demonstrates that high compositional complexity can yield molecular architectures with emergent properties unlike those of conventional synthetic materials.

Literature

* Speed et al. J. Polym. Sci. 2023, 61, 1713.
* Peng et al., Nature Nanotech. 2023, 18, 1463.
* Krieg & Shih, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 714.
* Gupta & Krieg, Nucl. Acids Res. 2024, 52, e80.
* Prakash et al., Nature Nanotech. 2021, 16, 2021.
* Speed et al., BioRxiv 2024.