Draft:William Shih
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William M. Shih is an American biochemist and professor specializing in structural DNA nanotechnology. He is a Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Cancer Biology at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He also serves as a Founding Core Faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.[1]
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Stanford University (PhD)
Foresight Institute Prize in Experimental Nanotechnology
Rozenberg Tulip Award
William M. Shih | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB) Stanford University (PhD) |
| Known for | DNA origami, Crisscross polymerization, DNA nanoswitch calipers |
| Awards | NIH Director's New Innovator Award Foresight Institute Prize in Experimental Nanotechnology Rozenberg Tulip Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry, DNA Nanotechnology, Biophysics |
Shih's research focuses on the development of DNA nanotechnology, with particular emphasis on the design of three-dimensional DNA origami structures.[2]
Education and early career
Shih attended Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biochemical Sciences. He completed his doctoral studies at Stanford University, receiving a Ph.D. in Biochemistry.
He performed his postdoctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute under the supervision of Gerald Joyce. During this period, he notably demonstrated that a 1.7-kilobase-pair single strand of DNA could be folded into a nanoscale octahedron, a significant milestone in programmed molecular self-assembly.[3]
Research
Shih's research laboratory focuses on the design principles for self-assembling molecular machines using structural DNA nanotechnology. His work bridges the gap between synthetic nanostructures and biological systems to address problems of biological and medical interest.
DNA-based architectures
To overcome the scalability limits of traditional DNA origami, Shih's group developed crisscross polymerization. This strategy combines the absolute scaffold-dependence of DNA origami with the unbounded size potential of DNA tile assembly, enabling the construction of microscale structures with precise control over copy number.[4]
Single-molecule and structural analysis
In collaboration with Wesley Wong, Shih developed DNA nanoswitch calipers for massively parallel single-molecule identification and mechanical characterization. This technology aims to advance single-cell proteomics by enabling high-throughput determination of protein structures.[5]
Additionally, Shih pioneered the use of DNA nanotubes as an alignment medium to enable NMR structure determination of membrane proteins.[6]
Therapeutic vehicles
Shih explores the use of DNA-origami pegboards to present precise spatial arrangements of ligands, such as CpG oligonucleotides. In collaboration with groups at KIST and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, this research focuses on the immune polarization of dendritic cells to enhance cancer vaccines.[7]
Awards and honors
- NIH Director's New Innovator Award[8]
- Finalist, Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists (Physical Sciences)[9]
- Foresight Institute Prize in Experimental Nanotechnology[10]
- Rozenberg Tulip Award in DNA Computing (ISNSCE)[11]
Selected publications
- Douglas, S. M.; Dietz, H.; Liedl, T.; Högberg, B.; Graf, F.; Shih, W. M. (2009). "Self-assembly of DNA into nanoscale three-dimensional shapes". Nature. 459 (7245): 414–418. doi:10.1038/nature08016.
- Dietz, H.; Douglas, S. M.; Shih, W. M. (2009). "Folding DNA into twisted and curved nanoscale shapes". Science. 325 (5941): 725–730. doi:10.1126/science.1174251.