Abstract：The integration of biomolecular engineering, nanotechnology and biology is expected to produce major breakthroughs in molecular biology, bioengineering, biotechnology, medical diagnostics and therapeutics.  Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures with proteins and nucleic acids, the creation and use of nano-devices and nano-systems provides unprecedented opportunities in achieving a fundamental understanding of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention.  Recent advances include the development of functional nanoparticles, activitable molecular probes, nano-structured materials and devices, and engineered nanomachines for biomedical applications.

In this talk I will review the recent development of biomolecular engineering and nanomedicine in my group, especially the novel properties and functions of molecular beacons, quantum-dot bio-conjugates, magnetic nanoparticle probes, peptide-based delivery, and other nanostructured probes for molecular targeting and imaging in living cells and animals.  Examples will be given on the applications of bionanotechnology to basic biological studies such as living cell gene expression, and disease studies including cancer research, and the detection of viral infection.  The challenges in developing nanomedicine will be discussed.

Biography: Dr. Gang Bao is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.  He received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master’s degree in Applied Mechanics, both from Shandong University, and his Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from Lehigh University.  After a few years of postdoctoral work at Peking University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University.  He moved to Atlanta 6 years ago as one of the founding members of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory.