Chao-Min Huang

Postdoctoral Fellow

My research is focused on the developing multi-scale models for DNA nanotechnology using statistics mechanics and coarse-grained molecular dynamics, especially for dynamic DNA nanodevices. As the scope and complexity of self-assembly DNA nanostructures increase, feedback from simulations on structure and dynamics becomes more important to guide the researcher to optimize designs computationally. As a computational researcher in DNA nanotechnology since my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, I borrowed the modern engineering perspectives in computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) to develop software tools and assist biologists and chemistries to conquer various challenges in nanorobotics, biosensing, and DNA-mediate nanofabrication.

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 3353 CIEMAS
  • Email Address: chaomin.huang@duke.edu

Education

  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, 2010
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, 2012
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University, 2020

Research Interests

Compared to other molecules, DNA origami is a well-known technology for its geometric addressability to create arbitrary shapes in nanoscale science. To bridge DNA with other nanoscale materials, I am interested in three directions:

  1. Seamlessly integrating CAD and CAE to create DNA nanostructures as scaffold.
  2. Hybridize with other organic or inorganic materials on the DNA scaffold to expand the functionality.
  3. Bottom-up patterning and hierarchical assembly at larger scales to study biological phenomena.

Outside of research, I like to get close to natural environment such as hiking and cross-country skiing.

Representative publications:

  • Huang, C. M., Kucinic, A., Johnson, J. A., Su, H. J., & Castro, C. E. (2021). Integrating computer-aided engineering and computer-aided design for DNA assemblies. Nature Materials (in press).
  • Huang, C. M., Kucinic, A., Le, J. V., Castro, C. E., & Su, H. J. (2019). Uncertainty quantification of a DNA origami mechanism using a coarse-grained model and kinematic variance analysis. Nanoscale, 11(4), 1647-1660.
  • Lei, D., Marras, A. E., Liu, J., Huang, C. M., Zhou, L., Castro, C. E., Su, H. J., & Ren, G. (2018). Three-dimensional structural dynamics of DNA origami Bennett linkages using individual-particle electron tomography. Nature communications, 9(1), 592.