Molecular Design & DNA Nanotechnology Lead

ABOUT ASTERA

Astera is a private foundation on a mission to steer science and technology toward an abundant future. We believe the coming years will bring an era of unprecedented scientific and technological advancement as exponential progress in AI converges with central advances in other fields to dramatically accelerate innovation. This inflection point provides an unparalleled opportunity to fundamentally rethink the institutions, systems, and tools that drive scientific progress.

Unlike traditional non-profit research organizations, projects supported by Astera operate like high-velocity startups, allowing us to focus on ambitious goals, match structure to problem, and attract strong technical talent and leadership. You can read more about our mission, vision, and programming here https://astera.org/vision/.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Astera Institute is seeking a Molecular Design & DNA Nanotechnology Lead to lead the design and wet-lab fabrication of a DNA-origami electrostatic actuator — a charged origami plate/polymer/electrode stack that, driven by an applied field, produces controlled nanometer-scale motion through a force-transmitting linkage. This position reports to Dr. Jeremy Barton (Astera Institute Resident, Project Lead). This is a full-time position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Design the DNA-origami actuator mechanism — the charged drive plate, the force-transmitting structure, and the amplifying lever or four-bar linkage — that turns a small electrostatic deflection of the plate into a larger, controlled output displacement within a sub-200-nanometer footprint.

- Use coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulation (e.g., oxDNA) to predict the mechanism's mechanical behavior — stiffness, compliance, and thermal stability of its motion — and iterate the design.

- Fold and optimize the DNA origami in the wet lab (annealing, buffer, and magnesium conditions), and design the site-specific chemistry that anchors the plate and mechanism to the device ...