Adam T. Woolley – Research Interests 

      The central theme of my research is the interrelationship between biological molecules and miniaturization. We are utilizing miniaturization to learn more about biomolecules, as well as applying biological molecules such as nucleic acids to miniaturize components of integrated circuits. Research is divided into three general areas. 

      1. Biotemplated lithography and nanofabrication. While optimization and evolutionary steps toward further miniaturization of components in integrated circuits to improve speed and performance may provide short-term gains, new and revolutionary approaches for nanofabrication are becoming increasingly attractive. My group is exploring the use of DNA as a nanofabrication template, with the sequence providing a stringent framework for localizing surface features with nanometer precision. We have demonstrated the controlled alignment of DNA molecules on surfaces and the synthesis of low-background metal nanowires on DNA templates. We have also specifically immobilized carbon nanotubes onto aligned DNA molecules on surfaces, and have made and characterized novel three-branched, metallized DNA nanostructures. We are presently measuring the conductivity properties of DNA-templated materials and using these assemblies to make next-generation integrated circuits.

      2. Integrated microdevices for proteome characterization. The amino acid sequence of the entire complement of proteins, or proteome, in humans can be determined from the sequence of the Human Genome. Yet, this information will be of limited use without methods to characterize what proteins are present and their relative abundances in specific cells and tissues. We are pursuing the miniaturization of protein analysis in integrated microdevices as an approach for rapid protein characterization. We have developed new and improved methods for the construction of polymeric microdevices for protein analysis and are studying novel techniques for concentrating, focusing and separating proteins in complex mixtures.

      3. Single-molecule DNA analysis by atomic force microscopy.  We are exploiting atomic force microscopy as a tool for DNA sequence analysis. We have developed methods for eliminating intrastrand base-pairing and fully extending single-stranded DNA molecules on surfaces. We are specifically labeling diagnostic sequences with tagged oligonucleotides and detecting the marked sequences by atomic force microscopy.