Paul W. Rothemund

Paul W. Rothemund is a Visiting Associate Professor at Caltech, affiliated with the Computing and Mathematical Sciences division. His work focuses on expanding the toolkit of DNA nanotechnology through innovations like DNA origami and RNA origami, with applications in nanofabrication, molecular engineering, and programmable materials.

• B.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science and Molecular Biology
• Developed DNA origami technique (2006) for programmable nanostructures
• Principal investigator at Rothemund Lab since 2015

His research spans Biomolecular Design, Biophysics, and Nanotechnology, often collaborating with the Winfree and Qian labs. Recent work includes digital nanoreactors and arbitrary orientation control of molecular shapes.

Key trends in his publications since 2017 demonstrate integration of DNA nanotechnology with lipid bilayers, RNA engineering, and photonic applications. Articles frequently appear in Nature, Science, and ACS Nano, emphasizing programmability and precision at the nanoscale.

Scientific recognitions include:

• Beckman Senior Research Fellowship (2001-2004)
• NWO Vidi Grant (2015)
• ERC Starting Grant recipient (2015)

As an advisor, he has guided Ph.D. candidates like Anya Mitskovets (2020) and Tyler Ross (2020), while maintaining active research grants from organizations like NWO and the ERC. His lab at Caltech fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between Biology and Biological Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, and Computation & Neural Systems.