Congratulations to Yamuna Krishnan for receiving the 2017 Infosys Prize in Physical Sciences! Awarded annually, the Infosys Prize recognizes scholars in six categories, Engineering and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities. It is among the most prestigious research awards granted in India.
Citation by the Jury:
"The Infosys Prize in Physical Sciences is awarded to Prof. Yamuna Krishnan for her ground-breaking work in the emerging field of architecture of the building blocks of life- the DNA. Krishnan has pioneered the use of synthetic DNA in developing dynamic DNA nanodevices for functional bio-imaging in vivo; making rigid DNA nanodevices that can deliver bio-imaging components in a cell-specific manner; discovering a new non-Watson-Crick base-paired DNA motif; and showing the microRNA cluster folds into a well-defined structure that can act as a barrier for its own processing.
The impact of her work ranges from constructing probes of biological processes in living cells and organisms, use of the functionality of the designer DNA devices in living systems, and development of DNA devices to transporting proteins to select target."