Paul W. K. Rothemund

Papers

Total Citations

253

H-Index

About

Paul W. K. Rothemund is a pioneering figure in DNA nanotechnology and biomolecular computation, best known for his revolutionary work in DNA origami and self-assembly. His key research areas include molecular programming, DNA-based computation, and the engineering of complex nanostructures from nucleic acids. Rothemund’s most cited paper, “A Sticker-Based Model for DNA Computation” (1998, 218 citations), introduced an innovative approach to molecular computation that uses DNA strands as a physical substrate for information storage and manipulation. This sticker model, which relies on hybridization-based separation, provided a simpler and more flexible alternative to earlier DNA computing frameworks, enabling more efficient encoding and processing of data at the molecular level. Beyond this foundational work, Rothemund is globally celebrated for his landmark 2006 paper on DNA origami, which demonstrated how long single-stranded DNA can be folded into arbitrary nanoscale shapes—a breakthrough that has garnered thousands of citations and reshaped the field. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship, and his research continues to inspire advances in nanomedicine, biosensing, and programmable matter.