Computational Models of Nanoscale Self-Assembly

Offered during Fall Semester each year.

1. Credits and contact hours: 3 credits, 3 contact hours
2. Instructor’s or course coordinator’s name: Jack Lutz, Jim Lathrop
3. Text book, title, author, and year: None required
4. Other supplemental materials: None

Specific course information

1. Brief description of the content of the course: Programming, modeling, and analysis of natural and engineered systems at the nanoscale. Topics include chemical reaction networks, strand displacement systems, models of self-assembly, biomolecular origami, and molecular robotics. Emphasis on mathematical methods of describing, simulating, programming, and assessing the computational power of such systems. Graduate credit requires a written or oral report on current research.
2. Prerequisites or co-requisites: Minimum of C- in COM S 331 C- or permission of instructor; for graduate credit: graduate standing or permission of instructor
3. Required, elective, or selected elective? Selected Elective

Specific goals for the course

1. Specific outcomes of instruction: By the end of the course students should have a working knowledge (ability to solve problems with rigorously justified reasoning) of the following:

• Biochemical reaction networks
• Deterministic mass-action kinetics (6)
• Stochastic mass-action kinetics
• DNA strand replacement (6)
• Molecular robotics
• DNA origami
• Tile self-assembly (2)

Brief list of topics to be covered

• Biochemical reaction networks
• Deterministic mass-action kinetics
• Stochastic mass-action kinetics
• DNA strand replacement
• Molecular robotics
• DNA origami
• Tile self-assembly