Paul W. K. Rothemund

Paul W. K. Rothemund is a Visiting Associate in the Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences and the Computation and Neural Systems program at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), a position he has held since 2023 with appointment through 2026. Previously, he served as a Research Professor at Caltech from 2015 to 2023, Senior Research Associate from 2008 to 2015, and Senior Research Fellow in Computation and Neural Systems and Computer Science from 2004 to 2008.

Rothemund received his B.S. from Caltech in 1994 and his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 2001. Following his doctoral studies, he was a Beckman Senior Research Fellow from 2001 to 2004.

Dr. Rothemund leads the Rothemund Lab at Caltech, which is part of the Biology and Biological Engineering, Computing + Mathematical Science, and Computation & Neural Systems divisions. His research focuses on DNA nanotechnology, particularly the development and application of DNA origami techniques for creating programmable nanoscale structures. The lab's work bridges computer science, molecular biology, and nanotechnology, exploring how molecular systems can be designed and programmed like computational systems.

Analysis of Dr. Rothemund's recent publications reveals a strong focus on advancing DNA nanotechnology for practical applications. His work spans from fundamental techniques for DNA and RNA origami to applications in nanophotonics, lipid bilayer engineering, and single-molecule manipulation. A notable trend is the increasing sophistication of DNA-based nanostructures and their integration with other biomolecular systems and physical phenomena.

Scientific Recognition:

• Beckman Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Rothemund has advised several doctoral students to completion, including Anya Mitskovets, who defended her thesis on 'Using DNA origami to create hybrid nanophotonic architectures for single-photon emitters,' and Tyler Ross, who defended his PhD thesis and subsequently joined the lab as a postdoc. His research has been supported by various grants that enable the interdisciplinary work at the intersection of computer science, molecular biology, and nanotechnology.

The Rothemund Lab forms a 'DNA nanotechnology supergroup' at Caltech and frequently collaborates with the Winfree and Qian labs. This collaborative environment fosters innovation at the interface of computation, molecular programming, and nanoscale engineering, positioning the lab at the forefront of programmable matter research.