Jason Kahn

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Bldg. 735
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-3090
jkahn@bnl.gov

Expertise | Research | Education | Appointments | Publications

Expertise

• Materials assembly
• Encoded self-assembly
• Biomaterials
• Automated experimentation and incorporation of machine learning
• Biotemplating
• Enzymatic catalysis
• DNA origami and structure synthesis
• DNA scaffold design

Research Activities

My research utilizes biomolecular self-assembly as a tool to explore broad questions and applications at the nanoscale. These topics bring together functional materials, including nanoparticles, quantum dots, proteins, and enzymes, with nanoscale structure mediated by DNA-self assembly, including both arbitrary organization and prescribed lattice ordering. Through marrying nanoscale functionality with prescribed order, we can begin to experimentally realize concepts that were previously unattainable through more traditional chemical methods. Our biomaterials program involves the development of automated synthesis platforms, including liquid handling equipment that combines synthesis and characterization, as well as software that will aid in guiding materials synthesis and serve as a resource to external users.

Education

• BS: Cornell University

                Biological engineering

• PhD: Cornell University

               Biological engineering, concentration in materials science

               Disseration Title: Engineering DNA Gels for Cell-Free Protein Production

Professional Appointments

• Scientist, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory (2016-2019)

  Research within the Soft and Bio-Nanomaterials Group focused on DNA-based programmable materials assembly and automated experimentation

• Postdoctoral Research: Columbia University (2016-2019)                                                 

         Department of Chemical Engineering                                                                             

         Projects: Nanoscale structure synthesis, DNA-based lattice programming and scaffolded materials

• Postdoctoral Research: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2014-2016)

         Institute of Chemistry                                                                                                 

         Projects: Biohybrid materials, programmed and stimuli-responsive materials synthesis

Selected Publications

• Joty K, Ghimire ML, Kahn JS, et al (2024) DNA Origami Incorporated into Solid-State Nanopores Enables Enhanced Sensitivity for Precise Analysis of Protein Translocations. Analytical Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02016
• Michelson A, Subramanian A, Kisslinger K, et al (2024) Three-dimensional nanoscale metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor frameworks through DNA-programmable assembly and templating. Science Advances 10:. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl0604
• Kahn JS, Xiong Y, Huang J, Gang O (2022) Cascaded Enzyme Reactions over a Three-Dimensional, Wireframe DNA Origami Scaffold. JACS Au 2:357–366. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.1c00387
• Kahn JS, Minevich B, Michelson A, et al (2022) Encoding Hierarchical 3D Architecture through Inverse Design of Programmable Bonds. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-xwbst
• Kahn JS, Gang O (2021) Designer Nanomaterials through Programmable Assembly. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 61:. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202105678
• Tian Y, Lhermitte JR, Bai L, Vo T, Xin HL, Li H, Li R, Fukuto M, Yager KG, Kahn JS, Xiong Y, Minevich B, Kumar SK, Gang O (2020) Ordered three-dimensional nanomaterials using DNA-prescribed and valence-controlled material voxels. Nature Materials 19:789–796. doi: 10.1038/s41563-019-0550-x
• Kahn JS, Minevich B, Gang O (2020) Three-dimensional DNA-programmable nanoparticle superlattices. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 63:142–150. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.12.025
• De Fazio AF, El-Sagheer AH, Kahn JS, Nandhakumar I, Burton MR, Brown T, Muskens OL, Gang O, Kanaras AG (2019) Light-Induced Reversible DNA Ligation of Gold Nanoparticle Superlattices. ACS Nano 13:5771–5777. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b01294
• Kahn JS, Freage L, Enkin N, Garcia MAA, Willner I (2016) Stimuli-Responsive DNA-Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Advanced Materials 29:1602782. doi: 10.1002/adma.201602782
• Kahn JS, Hu Y, Willner I (2017) Stimuli-Responsive DNA-Based Hydrogels: From Basic Principles to Applications. Accounts of Chemical Research 50:680–690. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00542
• Hu Y, Kahn JS, Guo W, Huang F, Fadeev M, Harries D, Willner I (2016) Reversible Modulation of DNA-Based Hydrogel Shapes by Internal Stress Interactions. Journal of the American Chemical Society 138:16112–16119. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b10458
• Cecconello A, Kahn JS, Lu C-H, Khosravi Khorashad L, Govorov AO, Willner I (2016) DNA Scaffolds for the Dictated Assembly of Left-/Right-Handed Plasmonic Au NP Helices with Programmed Chiro-Optical Properties. Journal of the American Chemical Society 138:9895–9901. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b04096
• Kahn JS, Ruiz RCH, Sureka S, Peng S, Derrien TL, An D, Luo D (2016) DNA Microgels as a Platform for Cell-Free Protein Expression and Display. Biomacromolecules 17:2019–2026. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b00183
• Kahn JS, Trifonov A, Cecconello A, Guo W, Fan C, Willner I (2015) Integration of Switchable DNA-Based Hydrogels with Surfaces by the Hybridization Chain Reaction. Nano Letters 15:7773–7778. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04101