Iris Seitz awarded for exceptional early-career achievement

During her doctoral research at Aalto University, The School of Chemical Engineering, Iris Seitz explored the use of DNA origami - rigid, custom-made nanostructures entirely made from DNA - as a framework to guide proteins into predefined geometries. Both virus capsid proteins and non-viral proteins were assembled on the DNA origami templates enabling precise control over the size and shape of these virus-like assemblies, including shapes such as donut-like assemblies that are otherwise not found in nature.

The work further demonstrates how these virus-like assemblies can be functionalized. Enzymes can be precisely placed inside hollow DNA origami structures to carry out chemical reactions while a shell of virus capsid proteins forms a selective barrier that controls access to them. Incorporating mRNA - therapeutic mRNA was for example used in COVID-19 vaccines - into the DNA origami enables regulation of protein production. Combined with carefully chosen proteins, such as antibodies, this creates a versatile approach for building application-relevant virus-mimetic structures.

The ability to precisely organize biological molecules at the nanoscale opens new possibilities for both fundamental research and future technologies.

’Our results show that molecular interactions can be programmed to control both structure and function by combining two key building blocks: DNA, which is highly programmable, and proteins, which provide chemical and functional diversity,’ says Dr. Iris Seitz.

This research lays a groundwork for developing more complex systems that emulate and potentially surpass biological ones. 

Iris Seitz defended her doctoral theses "Virus-mimetic structures through protein engineering and nucleic acid origami", in June 2025.

Further information about the Robert Dirks Molecular Programming Prize.