My PhD project aims to develop fast nanomachines as well as microscopy methods for monitoring their movements in real time. I use a self-assembly technique known as DNA origami to assemble nanomachines that are made of DNA and operate in water. Nanomachines that operate in a liquid environment have the advantage of reduced friction as compared to dry nanomechanical systems that operate in air or vacuum. Additionally, the specificity of DNA base-pairing enables DNA origami structures to be assembled with high yield and high accuracy, which allows for the mass production of DNA origami nanomachines with potentially complex designs. PhD Supervisors: Prof. Ulrich Keyser – Department of Physics – Biological and Soft Systems and Prof. Jeremy Baumberg – Department of Physics – NanoPhotonics

Research Keywords: Nanoscale Self-Assembly, Optics and Nano-Optics, DNA Origami, Interferometric Scattering (iSCAT) Microscopy