Skip to main content

Gaurav Arya

Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
3383 Fitzpatrick Center (CIEMAS), Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
144 Hudson Hall, Box 90300, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


My research laboratory uses physics-based computational tools to provide fundamental, molecular-level understanding of a diverse range of biological and soft-material systems, with the aim of discovering new phenomena and developing new technologies. The methods we use or develop are largely based on statistical mechanics, molecular modeling and simulations, stochastic dynamics, coarse-graining, bioinformatics, machine learning, and polymer/colloidal physics. Our current research interests fall within four main themes: genome organization and regulation; polymer-nanoparticle composites; viral-DNA-packaging; and DNA nanotechnology. Please visit our website for more details about each of these research projects.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science · 2021 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Chemistry · 2022 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2024 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering

In the News


Published July 15, 2025
How AI is Rewriting the Rules of Materials Discovery
Published May 9, 2024
International Soft Matter Community Converges in North Carolina
Published April 17, 2024
Capturing DNA Origami Folding with a New Dynamic Model

View All News

Recent Publications


Modular programming of interaction and geometric specificity enables assembly of complex DNA origami nanostructures.

Journal Article Nature communications · December 2025 Self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks with programmable geometries and interactions offers a powerful route to engineer materials that mimic the complexity of biological structures. DNA origami provides an exceptional platform for this purpose, enabli ... Full text Cite

Acoustically seeded fabrication of a DNA tesseract into a conductive wire.

Journal Article Nucleic acids research · November 2025 Assembly of DNA nanostructures to sub-millimetre scales is expected to have significant potential for applications in materials science and medicine. One approach to control nanostructure growth is through using acoustic waves to create pressure nodes for ... Full text Cite

Dynamic DNA superstructures with emergent functions.

Journal Article Nanoscale horizons · October 2025 DNA nanotechnology enables the precise construction of intricate nanoscale structures. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in incorporating dynamic functionalities into these nanostructures. Concurrently, innovative strategies hav ... Full text Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Collaborative Research: DMREF: Architecting DNA nanodevices into metamaterials, transducing materials, and assembling materials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2023 - 2027

Programmable Mesoscale Self-Assembly at Nanopatterned Surfaces.

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2020 - 2027

Understanding the supramolecular nature of the ligand-nanocrystal interlayer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of California - San Diego · 2024 - 2027

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


University of Notre Dame · 2003 Ph.D.
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India) · 1998 B.Tech.