The DNA and Natural Algorithms Group

First and foremost, Caltech: the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Computer Science, Bioengineering, and Computation & Neural Systems; and
Information Science and Technology (IST) Centers for Biological Circuit Design (CBCD) and Physics of Information (CPI).

Active federal and international grants to E. Winfree:

• NSF CCF: "The Molecular Programming Project", Grant No. 0832824 (co-PIs P.W.K. Rothemund, N. Pierce, R. Murray, J. Bruck, E. Klavins, 8/15/2008-7/31/2013)

• NSF CCF/EMT/NANO: "Integration of DNA Nanotechnology with Nanoelectronics", Grant No. 0829951 (co-PIs P.W.K. Rothemund, Marc Bockrath, 9/1/2008-8/31/2011)
• NSF CCF/EMT/MISC: "Behavior Based Molecular Robotics", Grant No. 0829805 (collaborative with Milan Stojanovic, 9/1/2008-8/31/2011)
• NSF CCF/BIC/EMT: "Toward Large Scale Integrated Nucleic Acid Circuits", Grant No. 0728703 (co-PI Georg Seelig, Caltech. 9/15/2007-8/31/2010)
• FENA: "Bottom-Up Nanofabrication with DNA Self-Assembly", (subordinate to UCLA FENA Theme 2; co-PI P.W.K Rothemund, Caltech. 9/2006-8/2009)
• NSF CCF/NANO/EMT: "Toward Universal Bottom-Up Nanofabrication with DNA", Grant No. 0622254 (co-PIs N. Pierce, P.W.K Rothemund, M.W. Bockrath, Caltech; collaborative with B. Yurke, Bell Labs. 10/2006-9/2009)
• NSF CBET/NIRT: "Active Nanostructures for Nucleic Directed synthesis of Organic Functional Polymers", Grant No. 0608889 (PI N. Seeman, NYU; co-PIs W. Goddard, Caltech; W.-Q. Deng, Caltech; J. Canary, NYU. 10/2006-9/2010)
• HFSP: "Genetic coding and logical control for RNA molecular switches", Award No. RGY0074/2006-C (PI F. Simmel, U Munich. 5/2006-5/2009 w/ extension)
• NASA Astrobiology: "Enzyme-free In-vitro Evolution of DNA Tile Crystals as Model Primitive Organisms", Grant No. NNG06GA50G (Caltech. 11/2005-11/2008)
• NSF CHE/CBC: "Center for Molecular Cybernetics", Grant No.0533064 (collaborative center lead by M. Stojanovic, Columbia, which is 0533065. 9/2005-8/2008)
• NSF DMS: "Coarse-Graining DNA Energy Landscapes for the Analysis of Hybridization Kinetics", Grant No. 0506468 (PI N. Pierce, Caltech; co-PI H. Mabuchi, Caltech. 8/2005-7/2008)
• NSF CCF/BIC/EMT: "Cooperative and Adaptive Behaviors By Molecular Robots", Grant No.0523317 (PI M. Stojanovic, Columbia. 7/2005-6/2008)
• NSF CCF/NANO/EMT: "Algorithmic error-correction in biologically inspired self-assembly and computation", Grant No. 0523761 (collaborative with A. Goel, Stanford. 7/2005-6/2008)
• Microsoft: "Using Programmable Stacking Bonds to Combine DNA Origami into Larger, More Complex, Reconfigurable Structures", (co-PI: Paul W.K. Rothemund, Caltech. 6/2007-5/2008)
• NSF CCF/NANO/EMT: "Controlling Errors in Algorithmic Self-Assembly", Grant No. 0432193 (Caltech. 8/2004-7/2007)
• NSF CNS/CAREER/PECASE: "Foundations of Autonomous Biomolecular Computation", Grant No. 0093486, with supplement 0536822 (Caltech. 4/2001-3/2006)
• NSF CBET/NIRT/GOALI: "DNA-Based Nanomechanical devices", Grant No. 0103002 (PI N. Seeman, NYU; co-PI W. Goddard, Caltech. 8/2001-7/2005)
• ONR YIP: "Biomolecular Computing by In Vitro Transcriptional Networks", Grant No. N000140110813 (Caltech. 5/2001-4/2004)
• NSF EIA/ITR/SY(CISE): "Biomolecular Computing by DNA/Enzyme Systems", Grant No. 0113443 (co-PI H. Mabuchi, Caltech. 9/2001-8/2004)
• DARPA BioComputation Contract F30602-01-2-0561 (PI J. Reif, Duke; co-PI N. Seeman, NYU): "Programmable DNA Lattices: Design, Synthesis, and Applications"
• NASA NRA (PI L. Adleman, USC; co-PI M. Huang, A. Goel, USC): "Biological Aspects of Computation", NASA NRA2-37143

We once received funding from GenTel; we had relationships with Molecubotics, a visionary but struggling Bay Area start-up; and we also interacted with Nanorex, the developers of Nanoengineer.

You might notice that our lab no longer takes funding from military agencies. This was a conscious decision, made as my DARPA and ONR grants from 2001 were expiring. My thinking about this is somewhat similar to, but not identical to, Ben Kuiper's reasons and Eric Klavins' reasons. One thing to note is that NSF, FENA, and NASA all interact with military funding agencies, and often funding programs involve joint efforts -- so what difference does it make? Read Ben's essay. For me, there is no question that it feels different, and recognizing and acting on that feeling is important to me.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this web site (www.dna.caltech.edu) are the opinions of some, all, or none of the members of the DNA Group, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, DARPA, FENA, GenTel, Molecubotics, Nanorex, or other members of the DNA Group.

Erik Winfree, 12/19/2002, 1/19/2005, 2/26/2008, 8/4/2009, 9/28/2011