(609a) Self-Assembled ssDNA Nanotubes for Targeting Cancer (Invited Speaker)

Self-assembly of biological molecules is an attractive method for engineering supramolecular biomaterials for different applications. In my group we focus on the design and characterization of amphiphilic molecules, such as ssDNA-amphiphiles, that have the tendency to self-assemble spontaneously in water. We have shown that the type of molecular spacer linking a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) headgroup to a lipid-like tail affects the assembly of the ssDNA-amphiphiles, producing spherical micelles, bilayer nanotapes (flat or twisted) and nanotubes. I will discuss how we use ssDNA nanotubes to target cancer, in vitro and in vivo.