Rebecca Taylor: Nucleic acid mechanotechnology for cellular interfaces and microrobotics

Forces at Play Seminar 2025

Rebecca Taylor 

Nucleic acid mechanotechnology for cellular interfaces and microrobotics

Microsystems & Mechanobiology Lab

Carnegie Mellon University

Curious & interested? The recorded talk can be found here: Link


One of two images that together form a Sketchnote/sketch that follows the detail of the talk about the use of DNA origami as tools to manipulate and interrogate cells. Highlights: Tool development that allows 2D and 3D designs to be easily created. DNA origami shells to protect cells. Adjustable designs that can be tuned to be taken up by cells and the nucleau may be potentially targetd as well. Deep insight and theoretical backing to teh work.
Second of two images that together form a Sketchnote/sketch that follows the detail of the talk about the use of DNA origami as tools to manipulate and interrogate cells. Highlights: Tool development that allows 2D and 3D designs to be easily created. DNA origami shells to protect cells. Adjustable designs that can be tuned to be taken up by cells and the nucleau may be potentially targetd as well. Deep insight and theoretical backing to teh work.

Papers Mentioned during the talk:


Wang, W., Peter R. Hayes, Xi Ren and Rebecca E. Taylor. Synthetic cell armor made of DNA origami. Nano Letters. 2023.

Imamura, T., Nicholas Chung, Utku M. Sonmez, Matthew Travers, Sarah Bergbreiter and Rebecca E. Taylor. Complex assemblies of colloidal microparticles with compliant DNA linkers and magnetic actuation.  Advanced Materials Technologies. 2024.

Vetturini, A.J., Jonathan Cagan and Rebecca E. Taylor. Generative design-enabled exploration of wireframe DNA origami nanostructures. Nucleic Acids Research). 2024.

Babatunde, B., Jonathan Cagan and Rebecca E. Taylor. An Improved Shape Annealing Algorithm for the Generation of Coated Deoxyribonucleic Acid Origami Nanostructures.  Journal of Mechanical Design. 146(5):051708, 2024.

Wang, W., Bhavya Chopra, Vismaya Walawalkar, Zijuan Liang, Rebekah Adams, Markus Deserno, Xi Ren and Rebecca E. Taylor. Cell–Surface Binding of DNA Nanostructures for Enhanced Intracellular and Intranuclear Delivery. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 16:15783-15797, 2024.

Goodwin-Schoen, C., and Rebecca E. Taylor. Modular, articulated models of DNA and peptide nucleic acids for nanotechnology education. The Biophysicist. 2023.

Roka-Moiia, Y., Vismaya Walawalkar, Ying Liu, Joseph E. Italiano, Marvin J. Slepian and Rebecca E. Taylor. DNA origami−platelet adducts: nanoconstruct binding without platelet activation. Bioconjugate Chemistry. 33(7):1295-1310, 2022.

Liu, Y., Piyumi Wijesekara, Sriram Kumar, Weitao Wang, Xi Ren and Rebecca E. Taylor. The effects of overhang placement and multivalency on cell labeling by DNA origami. Nanoscale. 13:6819-6828, 2021.