The Department of Bioengineering (BE) cordially invites you to attend a Departmental Seminar.

Speaker: Dr. Mahipal Ganji
Department name: Dept. of Biochemistry, IISc.

Title: Decoding the Stabilizing Energetics of DNA and Their Applications in DNA Nanotechnology and Super-resolution Imaging

About the Speaker: Mahipal studied Physics at Nizam College Hyderabad, India, and Nanobiophysics at TU Dresden, Germany, followed by a PhD from Bionanoscience department at TU Delft, the Netherlands. After short stint as postdoc at the same institute, did a postdoctoral work at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried Germany. His research is interested in understanding how genome is organized in a small compartment. We develop tools to understand factors that alter genome organization using single-molecule imaging and super-resolution microscopy approaches.

Abstract:
In the realm of biology, DNA within our cells constantly undergoes deformations, unwinding and rewinding, yet remarkably, genetic information is efficiently passed down through generations. In my talk, I will delve into our recent endeavors aimed at unraveling the world of stabilizing energetics within DNA. Specifically, we have developed an innovative multiplexed single-molecule assay, harnessing the power of DNA-PAINT super-resolution imaging and DNA nanotechnology. This advanced imaging technology enables us to conduct unbiased kinetic analyses of multiple stacking interactions in a single experiment. Our data reveals that the stability of individual dinucleotide interactions varies dramatically, allowing us to implicate them in diverse applications. During my presentation, I will explore their implications in understanding the mechanical properties of single-stranded DNA. Furthermore, I will discuss how these discoveries are paving the way for the development of efficient imaging probes and their relevance to the field of DNA nanotechnology.