Viral infectious diseases have plagued human history and they continue to pose as a major threat to global health and economy. Our vision is to develop a novel anti-viral platform that can rapidly neutralize viral infections by limiting viral diffusion. By interfacing DNA nanotechnology and peptide engineering, we want to construct modular molecular scaffolds that incorporates attractive features like multivalency and superior specificity in targeting viral particles. The ultimate goal of this work is to transition this platform for therapeutical application.

The most fundamental principle of the living system could have been concealed within the secret recipe to initiate life itself. Our lab combines various branches of science from organic chemistry, fluid mechanics, into geophysics and astrophysics to develop and test a protocell model that emerged from hydrodynamic forces acting on oil slicks trapped by an ancient ocean gyre. The oil slicks are light and water-insoluble organic materials made out of micrometeorite kerogen.