SAMANTA SYSTEMS CHEMISTRY LAB
CONFINEMENTS, COMPARTMENTS AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS
Research Theme:
The general arc of our research interests and perspectives includes the development and implementation of concepts for hierarchical, bio-inspired self-organization consisting of artificial building blocks within and outside the thermodynamic domain and chemical reaction networks to establish emergent relationships between structures and functions, with a overarching goal of designing and synthesizing soft materials with life-like functions.
Here are some topics we have been actively working on.
Cell-mimics with Life-Like Properties
Living cells have an unparalleled ability to carry out essential processes such as growth, division, adhesion, and adaptation through interconnected biochemical reaction networks within macromolecularly crowded environments like the cytoplasm and nucleus. Our lab seeks to understand and mimic these cellular functions using de novo designed compartments made of active biomacromolecules and catalytic components. By integrating concepts and molecular building blocks from DNA nanotechnology, polymer science, and supramolecular chemistry, we develop synthetic systems that display emergent adaptive behaviors in response to physicochemical changes in their environment.
Polymer Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are ubiquitous in biological systems due to their ability to encode extensive information through highly programmable duplex interactions. DNA nanotechnology harnesses these properties beyond their biological role to construct sophisticated self-assembled architectures with diverse functions and applications. At the same time, nucleic acids also behave as polymers, and sequence-specific DNA/RNA chains can be engineered to exploit their unique polymeric characteristics. Our lab is interested in developing self-assembling systems in both equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium states, where canonical duplex interactions and the phase behavior of nucleic acids act synergistically or antagonistically to generate dynamic and functional biomolecular systems.
Liquid-liquid Phase Separation of Biomolecules
Our lab studies how peptides and DNA molecules self-organize into liquid-like droplets through liquid–liquid phase separation, similar to membraneless compartments in living cells. We investigate how molecular design controls droplet formation and behavior, and use these systems for applications in sensing, molecular capture, and therapeutics, including antimicrobial activity.
Emergent Structures and Materials with Spatiotemporal Control
Systems chemistry aims to mimic the complexity of living systems by designing artificial systems that operate out of equilibrium. Our lab studies chemical reaction networks and self-assembling systems that regulate themselves through feedback, activation, and catalytic processes to generate emergent structures and functions. We investigate how chemical reaction networks drive morphological transformations across different length scales and develop biomaterials with time-programmed viscoelasticity and adaptive behavior.