Seeman, a New York University chemist who earned a Ph.D. in crystallography/biochemistry from Pitt in 1970, founded and developed the field of DNA nanotechnology—which is now pursued by over 250 laboratories across the globe—more than 35 years ago. His creations allowed him to arrange DNA building blocks to form specific molecules with precision through self-assembly—similar to the way a robotic automobile factory can be told what kind of car to make. Seeman’s work led the Christian Science Monitor to conclude that “nanotechnology may have found its Henry Ford.”
Seeman served as the the Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor of Chemistry at NYU.