Nanoscale Horizons Emerging Investigator Series: Dr Yinan Zhang, Tongji University, China
Abstract
Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career nanoscience and nanotechnology researchers. Read Yinan Zhang’s Emerging Investigator Series article ‘Structure-based DNA memory with Boolean random access’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NH00502G) and read more about him in the interview below.
Dr Yinan Zhang is a Distinguished Researcher and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Chemical Science and Engineering and the Advanced Research Institute, Tongji University. He received his BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Shandong University (2012) and his PhD from the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017) under the supervision of Academician Chunhai Fan. Dr Zhang conducted postdoctoral research at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (2017–2019) with Academician Chunhai Fan and Prof. Nadrian Seeman (NAS member), and at Arizona State University (2020–2021) with Prof. Hao Yan (NAI/AIMBE Fellow). Before joining Tongji University in 2022, he served as Senior Manager for Drug Delivery at Henlius Biopharma.
Dr Zhang’s research focuses on developing nucleic acid-based nanostructures and molecular machines. Utilizing DNA/RNA as engineering materials and harnessing principles of nucleic acid self-assembly, his group constructs precise nanoscale architectures to address specific biomedical and nanotechnological challenges.
He has published about 40 research papers, including approximately 30 as first or corresponding author in leading journals such as Science Advances, Nature Communications, J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. His contributions have been recognized with the CAS President’s Award (2017) and selection as a Shanghai High-Level Overseas Talent (2020). Dr Zhang also serves as a Youth Editorial Board Member for Nano-Micro Letters, Research, Exploration, and Molecules.
Read Yinan Zhang’s Emerging Investigator Series article ‘Structure-based DNA memory with Boolean random access’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NH00502G) and read more about him in the interview below.
NH: Your recent Nanoscale Horizons communication describes structure-based DNA memory with Boolean random access. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article and where do you see your research going in future?
YZ: My research journey began with my first publication in 2016 as a third-year PhD student, focusing on prescribing customized nanopatterns on DNA origami and transferring these patterns to nanoparticles to create ‘programmable atom equivalents’ with recognizable information for nanofabrication. These initial results sparked my long-standing interest in constructing molecular information systems—where artificial information can be encoded into the geometric configurations and surface patterns of delicate DNA nanostructures, and this embedded information can in turn direct the interactions of DNA nanostructures to assemble sophisticated molecular machines.
Over the years, my research has centered on developing DNA nanostructures capable of encoding, encrypting, and computing predefined information. This body of work has contributed to pioneering a new paradigm in DNA storage, structure-based DNA storage, while advancing DNA machines that process information in a controlled manner for targeted applications (e.g., disease prevention and diagnosis). Our recent Nanoscale Horizons communication represents a key evolution by developing a structure-based DNA memory system featuring Boolean random access, where integrated logic gates significantly enhance search capabilities and information retrieval efficiency.
Looking ahead, my research will focus on advancing structure-based DNA storage, creating novel paradigms for information encoding/reading/processing, and exploring transformative biomedical applications, requiring deep cross-disciplinary collaboration across chemistry, biology, materials science, and information theory to unlock DNA’s multifaceted potential fully.
NH: How do you feel about Nanoscale Horizons as a place to publish research on this topic?
YZ: I believe Nanoscale Horizons is the premier venue for publishing our research on structure-based DNA information systems. The journal’s emphasis on transformative concepts and foundational advances in nanoscale science directly aligns with the core innovation of our work: integrating Boolean logic gates into DNA nanostructures to create a new paradigm for random-access molecular memory.
This approach transcends incremental improvements in DNA nanotechnology by addressing a critical gap in structure-based DNA storage: enabling efficient random access to data encoded within DNA nanostructures. Analogous to how PCR or encapsulation-based extraction facilitates random access in sequence-based DNA storage, our system achieves this capability within a DNA structural framework. These breakthroughs demonstrate how programmable nanomaterials can expand the frontiers of information science, offering cross-disciplinary impact that aligns perfectly with Nanoscale Horizons’ scope and readership across chemistry, materials science, and computing.
NH: What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
YZ: Developing DNA-encrypted storage systems with enhanced storage density and security excites me most at the moment, particularly in advancing fast-read methods and exploring their biomedical applications. This dual focus is critical because it simultaneously addresses core technical challenges—scalable capacity, robust encryption, and rapid data retrieval—while pioneering transformative uses such as ultra-secure genomic medical records or programmable drug delivery systems encoded within living cells.
NH: In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?
YZ: In my view, the key questions in this field revolve around fundamentally reconceptualizing the molecular architecture of DNA storage systems to achieve ultra-high information density, rapid data retrievability, and robust cross-environment functionality – particularly ensuring consistent biocompatibility for both in vitro diagnostics and in vivo therapeutic applications.
NH: What do you find most challenging about your research?
YZ: The most significant challenge in my current research lies in establishing a new research group with limited personnel resources, where cultivating students with interdisciplinary competencies requires extended training cycles, creating substantial operational risks for project continuity.
NH: In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?
YZ: I regularly attend major disciplinary conferences, primarily the meetings of the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) and the Chinese Society for Micro-Nano Technology (CSMNT), with occasional participation in the Foundations of Nanoscience (FNANO) conference.
NH: How do you spend your spare time?
YZ: In my spare time, I like doing sports, reading, or just spending time with my family and friends.
NH: Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?
YZ: Channel your energy into executing what you can control, not agonizing over what you can’t.
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