This episode is with Kerstin Göpfrich. She is a leading researcher in the field of synthetic biology with experties in biophysics, DNA nanotechnology. and microfluidics. She leads the max plank research group of biophysical engineering at the max plank Institute for medical research in Heidleberg. Her research centers on utilizing DNA origami, a versatile technique that employs DNA molecules to construct three-dimensional components for synthetic cells. In this conversation we talk about can we create life in the lab, synthetic cells, advantages of using DNA origami in creating synthetic cells, applications, and the future of artificial cells.

Guest info: Website: https://goepfrichgroup.de/kerstin-gopfrich/ Twitter: https://x.com/kgoepfrich?s=21

Episode links: Website: https://reasonwithscience.com/synthetic-cells-and-dna-origami-with-kerstin-goepfrich

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Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/synthetic-cells-and-dna-origami-kerstin-g%C3%B6pfrich/id1641776894?i=1000684692335

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=S6sD5k6uU9A&si=oCqy98Z0JpxMU5oI

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Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:22 - Briefly describe your work and what you do.

00:03:08 - How do you envision a cell?

00:11:51 - What are top-down and bottom-up approaches?

00:17:37 - What are the paths taken to achieve certain functions?

00:20:09 - How are you exploring DNA nanotechnology?

00:24:48 - What do you mean by DNA and RNA origami?

00:35:45 - What does sustaining cells mean?

00:45:50 - Tell us about laser printing.

00:51:03 - What components can you build using DNA or RNA origami?

01:03:45 - Is there progress in using DNA nanotechnology to build metabolic systems?

01:08:19 - What applications do you envision for DNA nanotechnology-based synthetic cells?

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