# Chengde Mao
**Chengde Mao** is a chemist and professor at [Purdue University](https://www.edgepedia.org/purdue-university) in West Lafayette, whose research centers on [DNA nanotechnology](https://www.edgepedia.org/dna-nanotechnology), the use of DNA molecules as programmable building blocks for nanostructures and molecular machines. He is known for self-assembling DNA nanostructures and DNA-based machines, including a nanomechanical device driven by the B–Z transition (DNA's left-to-right-handed helix flip, driving his nanodevice) of DNA, algorithmic self-assembly of DNA tiles that performed logical computation, and hierarchical assembly of symmetric polyhedra such as tetrahedra, dodecahedra, and buckyballs.[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) • [2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Field | DNA nanotechnology and DNA computing[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) |
| Current position | Professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) |
| Training | B.S., Peking University, 1986; Ph.D., New York University, 1999, with Nadrian C. Seeman[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) |
| Postdoctoral work | NYU with Nadrian C. Seeman, 1999–2000; Harvard University with George M. Whitesides, 2001–2002[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) |
| Signature work | Hierarchical self-assembly of DNA into symmetric supramolecular polyhedra, *Nature*, 2008[3](http://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v452y2008i7184d10.1038_nature06597.html); nanomechanical device based on the B–Z transition of DNA, *Nature*, 1999[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html) |
| Funder | National Science Foundation, whose public access repository lists 40 of his publications[4](https://par.nsf.gov/search/author:%22Mao,%20Chengde%22) |
| Design principle | Structural symmetry to simplify building blocks, and a simple, robust, reproducible assembly process[5](https://foresight.org/resource/dr-chengde-mao-the-simple-side-of-dna-self-assembly/) |
## Education and career
Mao earned his B.S. from [Peking University](https://www.edgepedia.org/peking-university) in 1986.[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) He then joined the laboratory of [Nadrian C. Seeman](https://www.edgepedia.org/nadrian-c-seeman) at New York University, the founder of DNA nanotechnology, and completed his Ph.D. there in 1999.[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) His doctoral and early postdoctoral years produced several of the works he is best known for: the assembly of [Borromean rings](https://www.edgepedia.org/borromean-rings) from DNA published in *Nature* in 1997 from the NYU Department of Chemistry,[6](https://www.nature.com/articles/386137b0) the B–Z transition nanomechanical device in *Nature* in 1999,[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html) and the algorithmic self-assembly computation in *Nature* in 2000, on which he was affiliated with NYU's chemistry department.[7](https://users.cs.duke.edu/~reif/paper/SELFASSEMBLE/AlgorithmicAssembly.web.pdf)
His postdoctoral training ran in two stages: at New York University with Seeman from 1999 to 2000, and at Harvard University with [George M. Whitesides](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-m-whitesides) from 2001 to 2002.[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) He then joined Purdue University, where he is a professor and leads a research group in the Department of Chemistry.[1](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html) • [8](https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10409783)
## Representative work
According to the Mao Group's publications page at Purdue Chemistry, his 1999 *Nature* paper, "A nanomechanical device based on the B–Z transition of DNA," reported a molecular device based on the B–Z transition of DNA.[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html)
His 2000 *Nature* paper, "Logical computation using algorithmic self-assembly of DNA triple-crossover molecules," reported one-dimensional algorithmic self-assembly that executed four steps of a cumulative XOR operation on a string of binary bits.[7](https://users.cs.duke.edu/~reif/paper/SELFASSEMBLE/AlgorithmicAssembly.web.pdf) A triple-crossover DNA molecule contains four strands that self-assemble through Watson–Crick base pairing into three double helices in a roughly planar arrangement, with adjacent helices connected at crossover points.[7](https://users.cs.duke.edu/~reif/paper/SELFASSEMBLE/AlgorithmicAssembly.web.pdf) The design rests on a logical equivalence between DNA sticky ends and Wang tile edges, which lets the self-assembly of DNA tiles carry out computation.[9](https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v407y2000i6803d10.1038_35035038.html)
His 2008 *Nature* paper, "Hierarchical self-assembly of DNA into symmetric supramolecular polyhedra," showed a modular route to large closed structures: a few DNA molecules are programmed to fold into a basic structural unit, and four, twenty, or sixty copies of that unit then assemble, according to reaction conditions, into tetrahedra, dodecahedra, or buckyballs, respectively.[3](http://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v452y2008i7184d10.1038_nature06597.html)
## Research program
In a Foresight Institute talk titled "The Simple Side of DNA Self-assembly," Mao framed his program around two senses of simplicity: simple structures, achieved by using structural symmetry to simplify both the building blocks and the overall assembly, and a simple process, which yields robust assembly and reliable reproducibility.[5](https://foresight.org/resource/dr-chengde-mao-the-simple-side-of-dna-self-assembly/) The group's output spans DNA crystals, including self-assembled three-dimensional DNA crystals, and assembly chemistry.[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html) A 2022 *Nanoscale* paper from his Purdue laboratory, funded by the [National Science Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-science-foundation), showed that a constant shift of a DNA conformational equilibrium allows one-dimensional structures to evolve: one type of DNA tile assembled into spirals and concentric circles that became progressively less curved from the center outward, as shown by atomic force microscopy.[8](https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10409783) A 2023 *Journal of the American Chemical Society* paper examined the formation and displacement of ordered DNA triplexes in self-assembled three-dimensional DNA crystals.[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html) His ORCID record lists further recent directions, including self-assembly of microparticles by supramolecular homopolymerization of a one-component DNA molecule, rational design of two-dimensional dodecagonal DNA quasicrystals, and universal pH- and metal-ion-free self-assembly of DNA nanostructures.[10](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-8666)
## Comparison and field context
Mao's symmetry-based tiling uses structural symmetry to simplify the building blocks and the overall assembly, drawing on small numbers of repeated building blocks.[5](https://foresight.org/resource/dr-chengde-mao-the-simple-side-of-dna-self-assembly/) His group has also worked with [DNA origami](https://www.edgepedia.org/dna-origami) on its own terms: a 2020 *ChemBioChem* paper from the group assembled a DNA origami Chinese knot using only 15% of the staple strands.[2](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html) The approaches make different fidelity demands. As the 2000 paper's abstract notes, algorithmic aperiodic self-assembly requires greater fidelity than periodic self-assembly, because correct tiles must compete with partially correct tiles during growth.[9](https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v407y2000i6803d10.1038_35035038.html)
## Recognition and impact
The National Science Foundation's public access repository lists 40 publications for Mao, reflecting NSF support for his research.[4](https://par.nsf.gov/search/author:%22Mao,%20Chengde%22) He co-edited the revised selected papers of the 12th International Meeting on DNA Computing (DNA12), held in Seoul in June 2006 and published by Springer, and wrote a foreword to a related collection in *Natural Computing* in 2008.[12](https://vldb.org/dblp/db/indices/a-tree/m/Mao:Chengde.html)
## References
1. [Prof. Chengde Mao, Mao Group, Purdue Chemistry](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/about-mao.html)
2. [Mao Group: Publications, Purdue Chemistry](https://www.chem.purdue.edu/mao/publications.html)
3. [Hierarchical self-assembly of DNA into symmetric supramolecular polyhedra (Nature 452, 198–201, 2008)](http://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v452y2008i7184d10.1038_nature06597.html)
4. [NSF Public Access Repository, Mao, Chengde](https://par.nsf.gov/search/author:%22Mao,%20Chengde%22)
5. [The Simple Side of DNA Self-assembly, Foresight Institute](https://foresight.org/resource/dr-chengde-mao-the-simple-side-of-dna-self-assembly/)
6. [Assembly of Borromean rings from DNA, Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/386137b0)
7. [Logical computation using algorithmic self-assembly of DNA triple-crossover molecules (Nature 407, 493–496, 2000)](https://users.cs.duke.edu/~reif/paper/SELFASSEMBLE/AlgorithmicAssembly.web.pdf)
8. [DNA Conformational Equilibrium Enables Continuously Changing of Curvatures (NSF PAR)](https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10409783)
9. [Logical computation using algorithmic self-assembly of DNA triple-crossover molecules (RePEc record)](https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v407y2000i6803d10.1038_35035038.html)
10. [Chengde Mao (0000-0001-7516-8666), ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-8666)
11. [Balancing flexibility and stress in DNA nanostructures (RSC)](https://doi.org/10.1039/b513962g)
12. [DBLP: Chengde Mao](https://vldb.org/dblp/db/indices/a-tree/m/Mao:Chengde.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Engineers and computer scientists › Engineers and materials scientists › Researchers in bioengineering, synthetic biology, DNA nanotechnology, and biomedical devices › DNA nanotechnology and DNA computing*
*Initially written Sep 20, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026; Oct 11, 2026 · Last review: Sep 25, 2026*
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