Assistant Professor
The University of Texas At Austin
Austin, Texas
Dr. Marras received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University as a Presidential Fellow working with Carlos Castro in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His graduate research in structural DNA nanotechnology established a framework for DNA-based mechanical mechanisms and methods for their rapid actuation. After completing of his PhD, Marras joined Matthew Tirrell’s research group as a postdoctoral researcher at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. His postdoctoral studies focused on charged polymer assembly with biomolecules and structural characterization of nanomaterials using various advanced scattering and microscopy techniques. During this time, he also was a consultant for SiO2 Materials Science studying RNA lipid nanoparticle structure and stability. In 2022, Dr. Marras joined The University of Texas at Austin as an Assistant Professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and is affiliated with the Texas Materials Institute and Biomedical Engineering department. His research group at UT Austin specializes in biomolecular self-assembly, using tunable soft materials for nanoscale engineering, with focuses on nucleic acid delivery, DNA-based actuators, and smart biohybrid materials. In 2024 he was awarded a NIH R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA). For more information, visit the www.nanoassemblylab.com.
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The Critical Role of Buffer Composition on the Performance of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles
Monday, November 10, 2025
2:00 PM - 2:15 PM CT