The Chandrasekaran lab has had several undergraduate-level researchers and they’ve contributed to many research projects. We’ve had many of our undergraduates as lead authors and co-authors on publications. We believe accommodating undergraduates in the lab is a mutually beneficial relationship for the lab and the student (read Arun’s commentary on this in EMBO Reports here).
Our undergrads have painted science-related artwork that was featured on journal covers, been the recipient of SUNY Chancellor’s Award and President’s Awards for Undergraduate Research, and recently featured on the Amazon Prime show The College Tour.
Get to know our current and past undergraduate researchers here!
Current undergraduate researchers
Mengyao Zheng
Mengyao is a senior majoring in biology major at the University at Albany. Her research explores how different counter ions and chemical modifications affect the assembly and stability of DNA nanostructures. Her work aims to create more stable DNA nanostructures that could be used in future applications such as drug delivery.
“I really enjoy working in the lab and being part of such a collaborative environment. Everyone is supportive and we often share ideas and help each other, which has allowed me to learn more and expand my way of thinking,” said Mengyao. “I enjoy doing experiments and seeing the results. When they match my expectations I feel a strong sense of accomplishment, and when they are unexpected they spark new thoughts and make me excited. I love the process of exploring and gradually weaving all the pieces together into a complete story.”
Outside science, Mengyao enjoys traveling and visiting different places to experience their unique atmosphere and discover new things. “Traveling makes me feel that the world is vast and full of different ways of living. The beautiful memories I make during my trips often give me motivation to keep moving forward when I am feeling low.”
Mengyao is preparing her PhD applications and hopes to continue her studies, focusing on further research and development in the DNA nanotechnology area.
Antoinette Mastrangelo
Antoinette is a senior in the Biology major and Albany, NY native. “My typical lab day looks like checking in with my lab mentor, running experiments, imaging the results, and planning experiments for the next day,” said Antoinette. The Chandrasekaran lab is the first lab she has worked in. She first became interested in research after hearing people talk about “research” online and having no idea what it entailed or even meant. She decided to seek out a lab to join to get these questions answered and gain an understanding about the elusive research. Her work at the lab has included projects on isothermal titration calorimetry of DNA nanostructures, modified DNA nanostructures for the attachments of antisense oligonucleotides, and presently experiments in the self-assembled DNA crystals.
“I’m a first generation high school and soon-to-be college grad, so a lot of my early experiences navigating education was seeking out people talking about things online and trying to figure out what it all meant. One thing that came up time and time again was students talking about ‘research’. I’d never even seen the inside of a professional lab and didn’t know anyone who had, so to me it was all very vague and mysterious. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more, so I opted to attend a workshop with a Principal Investigator (“PI”, or for the uninitiated - “Lab Boss”) giving a talk. The speaker of this workshop was Arun. I liked him, I liked hearing about his research, I liked hearing the lab members discuss their work and experiences during the panel. After the talk, I sent an e-mail to Arun to see if he needed any more undergrads in his lab. There was a spot open, and the rest is history!”
One silly eccentricity about Antoinette is that she is a self-taught baker who loves to name her baked goods. Her jiggly vats of bread dough have gone through innumerous affectionate names, such as ‘Doughsephine” and “Doughphne”. “Outside of the lab, you can find me reading books in the sunshine, bicycling or urban hiking, and hatching schemes to improve the world.”
Gwenyth Gallagher
Gwen is a rising junior and a Chemistry major. Gwen works on a research project examining alternative methods for assembling DNA nanostructures to enhance their ability to withstand conditions more closely resembling those of the human body. This involved using an unconventional buffer solution and assembling the DNA nanostructures at constant temperatures rather than using thermal annealing.
“Since I've been spending every day in the lab this summer, I feel so much more independent and I can do things myself without having to check in with others,” said Gwen. “I’m also building new skills with a variety of computer software programs like Origin and Illustrator. It feels really good to be able to make schematic models to communicate what exactly it is I'm working with. The structures we’re assembling are nanoscale in size, so learning ways to share our work in the lab visually is empowering. The approach I’m exploring could lead to more effective targeted drug delivery systems.”
Lauren Anderson
Lauren is a senior majoring in chemistry at UAlbany. Lauren’s work has focused on forming paranemic crossover (PX) DNA by a process called paranemic cohesion, which is an alternative to cohesion with sticky ends that can be too short to bind larger constructs together. “One of the goals of this project was to assemble these structures at room temperature with the addition of denaturing agents. More recently, I’ve worked on the isothermal assembly of PX DNA in different divalent ions,” said Lauren.
“During my time in this lab, I have learned how to be more independent as a scientist, practiced my presentation skills, as well as learned new methods for data analysis. After graduation, I plan to focus on applying to medical school as well as continuing research in the lab.”
“Outside of school and lab, I enjoy crocheting, painting, and just creating things in general.”
N Kabbara,RA L AndersonUG and AR Chandrasekaran,* Controlled reassociation of multistranded, polycrossover DNA molecules into double helices. bioRxiv 2025.08.22.671170 (2025).
L Anderson,UG H TalbotG and AR Chandrasekaran,* Paranemic cohesion of DNA molecules in different counter ions at room and physiological temperatures. bioRxiv 2025.08.21.671517 (2025).
Undergraduate Alumni
Leah Punnoose
Leah is an alumni of the Chandrasekaran lab and a Biology major. Over the course of her time in the Chandrasekaran lab, she has examined the effects of metal ions and various annealing protocols for the assembly of DNA nanostructures. Leah’s main project consisted of analyzing the differential electrophoretic mobility of the double crossover DNA motif, alongside duplex DNA, in various counter ions. The discoveries made through this experiment will ultimately aid in the understanding of DNA nanostructure stability in various metal ions.
“My undergraduate experience was unforgettable due to the support and opportunities that were bestowed upon me through my position in the lab,” said Leah. “I had the opportunity to attend numerous research conferences, where I have been able to meet others with similar passions and learn from their approaches in their field of work. Under the guidance of my mentor and my peers, I have learned life-long skills of how to approach scientific inquiry, present scientific work to a broad audience, and be able to convey my passion for my work to others.”
A Patel,RA L PunnooseUG and AR Chandrasekaran,* Differential electrophoretic mobility of synthetic DNA motifs and duplex DNA in various counter ions. Chem. Commun. 60: 12706 (2024).
Mireylin Cordones
Mireylin worked in the Chandrasekaran Lab through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at The RNA Institute. Her research focused on the aggregation properties of a DNA nanostructure called DX motif in barium ions.
In the summer of 2023, Mireylin worked on a research project that focused on what conditions allowed and affected the formation of a double crossover DNA motif through the use of different metal ions (primarily barium and magnesium). She tested how different concentrations of barium ions in the buffer affected the aggregation properties of the DNA motif.
“The whole reason I applied for this program was to gain knowledge regarding DNA, something that I consider to be the foundation of life on Earth. DNA plays a role in endless scientific studies, reaching beyond nanostructures. As a biology major who was initially inclined to evolution and ecology, this experience has really opened my eyes to a broader perspective of what my upcoming career can look like.” Mireylin said. “It was a wonderful experience to work with Arun, who is able to spread his knowledge and passion in a way that challenges you to think outside of the box and embrace what can be the future,” added Mireylin.
BR Madhanagopal,PD A Rodriguez,RA M CordonesUG and AR Chandrasekaran,* Barium concentration-dependent anomalous electrophoresis of synthetic DNA motifs. ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 7: 2704 (2023).
Abigail Tsuji
Abigail worked on the binding of different small molecules on DNA nanostructures. “We measured the fluorescence intensity resulting from small molecule binding to DNA motifs utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy. Overall, this allowed us to study the effect of nanostructure design on small molecule binding,” said Abigail.
"Being a part of the Chandrasekaran Lab was an invaluable part of my undergraduate career. I learned from and worked alongside a diverse group of passionate, supportive individuals who continuously fostered growth, collaboration, and innovation." Abigail’s hobbies include music, tennis and baking.
Current Position: MD Candidate
Hiba Faheem
Hiba Faheem is a recent biomedical engineering graduate who worked in the Chandrasekaran lab as an undergraduate researcher. Hiba contributed to the early experimental phase of a project that developed a “toehold clipping” strategy, a way to remotely control DNA strand displacement using physical (UV light) or molecular (enzymes) triggers. Her work involved assembling DNA nanostructures, running gel electrophoresis experiments, and helping establish the proof of concept for this method. This approach could lead to more precise control of nanoscale systems, enabling targeted drug delivery that can be activated or halted on demand.
“Being part of the first set of experiments was exciting. It felt like we were building the foundation for something new,” Hiba said. “It was hands-on, detail-oriented work, and I learned so much about troubleshooting, working with delicate nanostructures, and collaborating in a fast-paced research environment. Exploring DNA nanostructures was an eye-opening experience. Watching how these tiny structures change and respond to different conditions really sparked my fascination with their potential!” She is currently working as a scientist in the biotechnology industry, with long-term career goals in medical device development. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling.
H Faheem,UG J Mathivanan, H Talbot,UG S Vangaveti, H Zeghal, J Sheng, AA Chen and AR Chandrasekaran,* Toehold clipping: A mechanism for remote control of DNA strand displacement. Nucleic Acids Res. 51: 4055 (2023).
Leann Nicholas
In the summer of 2022 as a part of the University at Albany Summer Research Program, Leann worked on a research project looking to control strand displacement process using Triplex Forming Oligonucleotides (TFOs). This involved comparing the structures resulting from the addition of a displacing strand when duplex and triplex complexes were used. Understanding the kinetics of this process could lead to the use of TFOs as “locks” in drug delivery processes.
At UAlbany, Leann was a captain of the Track and Field team, Vice President of Doctors For Hope, and even spoke about the lab on the series, The College Tour.
Currently, Leann is a first year medical student at Upstate Medical University. She is interested in practicing Family Medicine in the future. Leann hopes to give top-quality care to a diverse, underserved patient population.
Leann had a very valuable experience in the lab that she talks about to this day. She grew to understand the process of basic science research and will take that into her medical career. “Research is not for the weak, but I am better for how I pushed my mind to complete my project. The relevance of what I was doing in Arun’s lab still baffles me to this day. It was a privilege to work under him and DO science instead of just learn about it,” said Leann.
Hannah Talbot
Hannah is currently a PhD student working in the lab. They started research during the summer of 2022 and have since refused to leave. Since then, they have worked on a variety of projects using DNA nanostructures, with focus on improving the biostability of nanostructures and improving their construction in different conditions. “Do not ask me about my future plans because I don’t have any, I’m just doing my job”, said Hannah.
Outside of lab, Hannah enjoys video games, reading and art.
BR Madhanagopal,PD H Talbot,UG A RodriguezRA and AR Chandrasekaran,* Switchback RNA. ACS Chem. Bio. 19: 2394 (2024). [Cover feature]
BR Madhanagopal,PD H Talbot,UG A Rodriguez,RA JM Louis, H Zeghal, S Vangaveti, K Reddy and AR Chandrasekaran,* The unusual structural properties and potential biological relevance of switchback DNA. Nat. Commun. 15: 6636 (2024).
H Talbot,UG BR Madhanagopal,PD A Hayden, K Halvorsen and AR Chandrasekaran,* Fluorometric determination of DNA nanostructure biostability. ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 6: 3074 (2023). [Cover feature]
A Rodriguez,RA D Gandavadi, J Mathivanan,PD T Song, BR Madhanagopal,PD H Talbot,UG J Sheng, X Wang* and AR Chandrasekaran,* Self-assembly of DNA nanostructures in different cations. Small 19: 2300040 (2023). [Cover feature]
H Talbot,UG K Halvorsen and AR Chandrasekaran,* Encoding, decoding, and rendering information in DNA nanoswitch libraries. ACS Synth. Biol. 12: 978 (2023). [Cover feature]
H Faheem,UG J Mathivanan, H Talbot,UG S Vangaveti, H Zeghal, J Sheng, AA Chen and AR Chandrasekaran,* Toehold clipping: A mechanism for remote control of DNA strand displacement. Nucleic Acids Res. 51: 4055 (2023). [Cover feature]
Arlin Rodriguez
Arlin was the first lab personnel in the Chandrasekaran lab when the lab started in June 2022. Arlin has worked on several projects, with a major focus on the assembly of DNA nanostructures in different counter ions, both using thermal annealing as well as isothermal methods.
“I still remember the first day I stepped into a lab, I felt so proud. Coming from a completely different space of opportunities, I never imagined research would open so many doors for me. From receiving an NIH supplement to now having the opportunity to work in industry, it’s been a journey I deeply value. I still miss working with the Chandrasekaran Lab, they were truly a family away from home.”
“Currently I’m passionate about understanding human behavior and emotions. I love staying active and hitting the gym regularly. I also enjoy exploring new places or learning some new.” In her current position in industry, Arlin specializes in imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (iCIEF) to study the charge differences in therapeutic proteins making sure the medicine stays stable and in high quality and also responsible in processing and interpreting the data. “For my future plans, I want to work my way up in industry or go back to school and get a PhD (always having a plan B).”
Quality Control Analyst (QC Gels Groups)
A Rodriguez,RA D Gandavadi, J Mathivanan,PD T Song, BR Madhanagopal,PD H Talbot,UG J Sheng, X Wang* and AR Chandrasekaran,* Self-assembly of DNA nanostructures in different cations. Small 19: 2300040 (2023). [Cover feature]