DNA and RNA nanostructures, e.g., DNA Origami, have great potential in biological applications, including extracellular matrix scaffolds and delivery vehicles for drugs and gene therapies. While folding DNA origami under physiological conditions is plausible, significant challenges and limitations remain. For example, isothermal annealing of DNA origami...

Many cancers have recurrent chromosomal translocations leading to the fusion of two genes. Often, said cancers are aggressive, have a poor prognosis with metastasis or recurrence, and do not have effective and targeted treatment. The challenge of many fusion-positive cancers is the lack of established targets downstream of the gene fusion despite years...

The US Government's pursuit of the "Thousand Dollar Genome" and the "X Prize" goal of even lower cost DNA sequencing are striking examples of the importance being assigned to advances in methods for the DNA sequencing of the human genome. The first technology that finally allows for truly routine genome sequencing will open a new...

DNA mutations are the basis of all heritable biological variation. Some variation gives rise to beneficial traits, many are neutral or nearly neutral, and some result in deleterious phenotypes. While it is commonly believed that DNA mutations affect evolutionary phenotypic trajectories over millions of years, scientific advances have shown that this...

Mutation accumulation (MA) experiments are widely used in evolutionary biology for studying the effects, rates and properties of new spontaneous mutations. Despite this, they are laborious to execute, typically taking months to years to a acquire sufficient mutations to measure mutation rates and spectra. Further, typical tools such as agar plates and...

In normal differentiated cells, most of the genome is densely methylated, except CpG islands near promoters of actively transcribed genes. Maintaining this boundary between unmethylated promoter-associated and adjacent methylated regions is crucial as loss of segregation can lead to disease. Unfortunately, it is not clear where these boundaries are,...

Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) are protein complexes residing on cell surfaces responsible for regulating immune responses. HLA haplotype sequencing is integral to the development of personalized therapies and diagnostics. It is also paramount to the understanding of T cell mediated immunity. There are over six classical major HLA loci with over 32,000...

Accurate detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases is paramount to appropriate treatment and better outcomes. Despite tremendous efforts to advance new diagnostic techniques, there are still critical gaps in the healthcare system in quickly diagnosing and responding to infectious diseases. Current diagnostic technologies identify pathogens by detecting...

Accurate detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases is paramount to appropriate treatment and better outcomes. Despite tremendous efforts to advance new diagnostic techniques, there are still critical gaps in the healthcare system in quickly diagnosing and responding to infectious diseases. Current diagnostic technologies identify pathogens by detecting...

Recombinant protein subunit vaccines offer an improved safety profile compared to live attenuated or inactivated vaccines, making them a promising vaccine strategy. These vaccines can further enhance immunogenicity through fusion with IgG-based protein scaffolds, such as immune complex (RIC) platforms. RIC consists of an antibody and antigen complex...