Ronit Freeman

Peptides and DNA represent two of the most attractive categories of molecules for the construction of nanomaterials for biology and medicine. Peptides provide a rich palette of biological functionality and self-assembly behavior and DNA can be used to construct complex nanostructures with programmable, dynamic properties. Dr. Freeman has sought to merge the advantages of these two molecular platforms through the use of peptide-DNA, P-DNA, hybrid biomaterials and utilize them to mimic the extracellular environment. The reversibility and tunability enabled by the DNA will be new handles for us to study dynamic properties of soft materials.