Solving real-world problems with biological molecules and systems
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Solving real-world problems with biological molecules and systems
Wed, 01/10/2025 - 13:00 to 14:00
Location:
Speaker:
Dr Katherine Dunn
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
Synopsis:
Biological molecules can be used to build technologies that solve challenging real-world problems, and I will present several examples in my talk. I will begin by showing how structures made from DNA can be used to detect biomarkers for disease monitoring1,2. I will discuss how our work on biomarker detection led us to identify an unmet need for a streamlined tool for analysis of gel electrophoresis images and will present a novel AI powered framework for gel electrophoresis image analysis3, which we have made freely available online.
I will discuss how economic factors can determine the ultimate potential of a technology, with reference to the case study of drug-delivering nanorobots made from DNA4. I will proceed to argue that the uses of biotechnology and bionanotechnology are not limited to the domain of medicine, drawing on examples in photonics, electronics and energy systems5. In this context I will introduce the term ‘electrosynbionics’ to describe the creation of engineered devices that use components derived from or inspired by biology to generate electricity, with or without energy storage6.
Finally, I will present a platform technology that enables electrical control over RNA production rates in cell-free reactions, with applications in smart materials, biomedicine and biocomputing7.
References:
1. Wu, Aquilina, Qian, Loos, Gonzalez-Garcia & Dunn. The application of nanotechnology for quantification of circulating tumour DNA in liquid biopsies: a systematic review. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering 16, 499-513 (2022)
2. Aquilina & Dunn. Multiplexed Label‐Free Biomarker Detection by Targeted Disassembly of Variable‐Length DNA Payload Chains. Analysis & Sensing 3, e202200082 (2023).
3. Aquilina, Wu, Kwan, Bušić, Dodd, Nicolás-Sáenz, O’Callaghan, Bankhead & Dunn. GelGenie: an AI-powered framework for gel electrophoresis image analysis, Nature Communications 16, 4087 (2025)
4. Coleridge & Dunn. Assessing the cost-effectiveness of DNA origami nanostructures for targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs to tumours. Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express. 6, 065030 (2020)
5. Dunn & Elfick. Harnessing DNA nanotechnology and chemistry for applications in photonics and electronics. Bioconjugate Chemistry. 34, 97-104 (2022)
6. Dunn. The emerging science of electrosynbionics. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. 15, 033001 (2020)
7. Speakman & Dunn. Modulating cell-free transcription electrolytically with switchable DNA triplexes. BioRxiv (2025) DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.25.650642