Silicon Metasurfaces for DNA Synthesis
Schedule
Thu Mar 19 2026 at 11:30 am to 01:15 pm
UTC-07:00Location
EAG Laboratories | Sunnyvale, CA
About this Event
San Francisco Bay Area IEEE Nanotechnology Council
2020, 2017 & 2014 Nanotechnology Council Outstanding Chapter (world-wide)
2019, 2016 & 2014 IEEE Outstanding Chapter (Western USA)
2019, 2016 IEEE Outstanding Chapter (Santa Clara Valley)
Silicon Metasurfaces for DNA Synthesis
Dr. Punnag Padhy
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Stanford University
In-Person Meeting
Thursday, March 19, 2026
11:30 AM: Networking, Pizza & Drinks
Noon -- 1 pm: Seminar
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Location:
EAG Laboratories
810 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale
==> Use corner entrance: Kifer Road / San Lucar Court
==> Do not enter at main entrance on Kifer Road
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Abstract:
Silicon Metasurfaces for DNA Synthesis
Ready access to long, accurate, and diverse synthetic DNA is essential for the rapid growth of synthetic biology — a field that genetically programs living cells with new functions. Modern microarray-based DNA synthesizers can generate diverse pools of oligonucleotide (single stranded DNA) sequences in parallel. However, each sequence is produced in limited quantity, and their yields decline with increasing oligo length due to cumulative synthesis errors. These limitations complicate downstream sequence segregation and gene assembly. Attempts to address these challenges by enlarging and spacing synthesis sites farther apart reduce the total number of sequences that can be generated simultaneously, thereby compromising synthesis diversity.
In this talk, I will introduce B-MOS (Metasurface Oligonucleotide Synthesizer for Engineered Biology) — a novel platform that integrates silicon nanophotonics with solid-phase DNA synthesis to overcome these challenges.
B-MOS employs dielectric metasurfaces composed of arrays of high-index and low loss silicon nanoantennas (metasurfaces) patterned on glass as optically programmable synthesis sites. The unique optical signature of each metasurface — its spectral and polarization response — is lithographically encoded into the geometry and orientation of the silicon nanoantennas. Under global illumination, only the metasurface tuned to the wavelength and polarization of the laser absorbs the optical energy and transduces it into highly localized heat to site-selectively activate the synthesis reactions. Tuning the laser enables switching between the synthesis sites without moving parts or complex optical projection systems that lead to alignment errors.
As these nanostructures support sharp (high-Q) optical resonances, crosstalk between the synthesis sites is minimized. These sharp resonances allow the dense spectral packing of independently addressable synthesis within the tunable range of the laser, thereby maximizing synthesis diversity.
Using temperature as a programmable biochemical control knob, I will demonstrate site-selective enzymatic incorporation of fluorescent nucleotides onto surface-bound DNA using the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. I will further discuss how integrating B-MOS with microfluidics can enable post-synthesis site-selective amplification and spatial segregation of oligo strands for reliable gene assembly.
Finally, I will outline how B-MOS can be extended to RNA and peptide synthesis as well as other enzyme-driven processes. By resonant nanophotonics with programmable biochemical control, B-MOS establishes a scalable physical foundation for high-precision biomolecular manufacturing and next-generation molecular technologies.
Read more:
1. Temperature bandgaps in silicon metasurfaces: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.12038
2. About the tech in Stanford HIT fund portfolio: https://otl.stanford.edu/researchers/high-impact-technology-hit-fund/hit-portfolio%23physicalsciences/engineered-biology
3. Recent review article on DNA synthesis: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41570-022-00456-9
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Punnag Padhy
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Stanford University
Punnag Padhy is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, advised by Prof. Jennifer Dionne.
He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar before moving to Stanford University for graduate studies. Working under the supervision of Prof. Lambertus Hesselink in the Department of Electrical Engineering, he demonstrated dielectrophoretic transport of microparticles across immiscible fluidic interfaces. By solving this long-standing challenge in trapping and micromanipulation his research enabled the droplet-microfluidic implementation of solid-phase DNA synthesis.
Motivated by a deep interest in fundamentals of light–matter and their applications in developing scalable tools for biomolecular analysis, control, manipulation and synthesis, he joined the lab of Prof. Jennifer Dionne for postdoctoral research. There, he is developing the B-MOS (Metasurface Oligonucleotide Synthesizer for Engineered Biology) platform while also investigating fundamental questions surrounding photothermal nonlinearities in metasurfaces. The potential of B-MOS has been recognized through support from the Stanford High Impact Technology (HIT) Fund.
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** Tickets cancelled by 8 AM on March 19, will have payments refunded*** Note: Eventbrite Fees will not be refunded
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Where is it happening?
EAG Laboratories, 810 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 4.00 to USD 6.00
