About Daniel
- Advisor: Paul Weiss
- Department: Materials Science and Engineering
- Campus: UCLA
- BioPACIFIC MIP Research: SET 1 - Bioderived Materials; SET 2 - Sequence-Defined Materials; SET 3 - Functional Biomimics
What is your research focus?
Cellular microtubules have recently shown collective optoelectronic responses, with ultraviolet super and subradiant states stabilizing as tubulin monomers assemble sufficiently large aromatic lattices (Babcock et al, J Phys Chem B 2024). While in vivo properties are unclear, in vitro collective states have been shown to stabilize when hydrated at room temperature, sharing similarities with coherences in photosynthetic nanotubes.
Characterizing the emergence of collective electronic states, role of hierarchical chirality, and influence of multiple tubulin isotypes within microtubules will enable the construction of bioderived optoelectronic architectures, inform the design of organic metamaterials, and may introduce novel biomedical pathways — initiatives that broadly relate to the Materials Innovation Platform mission. BioPACIFIC MIP’s manufacturing resources and expertise will enable the rapid development of cytoskeletal architectures with integrated inorganic elements, which will be paired with extensive simulation in order to explore quantum information science applications.
Currently the vast majority of microtubules studied are derived from mammalian brains, yielding isotopically heterogenous tubulin compositions with many post-translational modifications. Utilizing the living biofoundry isotypically pure microtubules may be produced in genetically modified yeast, facilitating tubulin isotype studies and the path to a sustainable final product. Microtubule superstructures may also be sustainably produced by ciliates or flagellated algae. These organisms utilize cilia, highly conserved cytoskeletal organelles that are essential to animal development and have recently been simulated to host robust collective optoelectronic responses in the ultraviolet. Optoelectronic characterization of ciliary axonemes will investigate whether collective states are biologically plausible, and inform the design of presumptive bioderived or biomimetic architectures.
What excites you about NSF BioPACIFIC MIP?
The BioPACIFIC MIP offers access to a community of peers and advanced instrumentation that will elevate what is possible for my research. As an individual I’m experienced in nanoengineering and characterization of biomaterials, and working with the Weiss and Caram groups in chemistry I have the instrumentation to perform world-class optical and electronic structure characterization. However, I have only previously worked tangentially to synthetic biology. Having a network of peers who have worked with genetic manipulation of yeast, protein purification, and advanced protein characterization techniques will enable the biological aspects of this project to smoothly integrate with the developed optoelectronic techniques. Engaging in transdisciplinary conversations will be essential for the success of this project, with many opportunities to collaborate with similar projects already funded by the BioPACIFIC MIP mission.
Additionally, the outreach opportunities and industry mentorship provided by the MIP fellowship will facilitate the translation of this fundamental research into industry relevant engineering. Seeing senior students struggle to cross this bridge demonstrates how important the foundational years of PhDs are to eventual industry success; the MIP fellowship’s early focus on mentorship and networking would radically alter the chances of this technology successfully reaching an industrial stage.
