Ned at the 2012 NYU Symposium organized in his honor.
Yesterday morning, I heard the news that my PhD advisor Prof. Ned Seeman, the founder of the field of DNA nanotechnology, had passed away. The science community will sorely miss him. His memories live on through his students and friends, and his legacy through his science.
I first met Ned in September 2009, when I joined New York University (NYU) as a graduate student. I had already been in contact with him a year before that about joining his lab for my PhD. In 2008, when I was a Masters student at the University of Madras in India, I was working on a project on DNA crystallography, and happened to read a few papers on DNA nanotechnology. I knew then what field of research I wanted to work in. I wrote to Ned about my interest, and followed his advice on applying to NYU. A year later, I met him in person in New York City.
During my first year of classes, I took Ned's Macromolecular Chemistry class. I used to be amazed that a scientist I admired, someone I had only known through research papers, was now flesh and blood in front of me, and I was in his class! A few years later, I became his 50th student to graduate with a PhD.
Myself with Ned and Ned’s post-doctoral mentor Alex Rich (2012).
Ned with his first PhD student Junghuei Chen (right, graduated 1990) and 50th PhD student (myself, graduated 2015).
Ned with his long time friends, colleagues and students. From left: Hao Yan, Greg Petsko, Ned Seeman, Alex Rich, Paul Chaikin, Chengde Mao. Picture taken at NYU Symposium in honor of Ned (2012).
I learned a lot from Ned over the five and a half years I spent in his lab. It's best to be straight with Ned, as that's how he was. He told you things as they are (with a lot of cursing, of course), and doesn't deal with rhetoric. To me, Ned was the ideal scientist, uncompromising in the standard of science that we did.
Group picture in our newly renovated lab space at NYU (2012).
Over the years, many of Ned's philosophies and quotes have stuck with me (and many others like me). "You don't work for me, you work for yourself", Ned used to say. It meant he was hands-off in the lab, which only made us students more responsible about the science we were conducting. In the Seeman lab, we have several memories of our lab dinners for birthdays and PhD defenses. When meeting a collaborator outside the school, Ned would gladly give us the choice of the meeting place: "So what's your favorite watering hole?". In one such instance, we went to the Washington Tavern across our building at NYU. I ordered a beer (don’t remember which); Ned looked at the drinks menu and said “Good choice”.
Lab dinner for Nam’s PhD defense (2013).
Ned is known for his spectacular quotes (we had a Facebook page just for Ned's classic quotes, Bill Sherman probably has a good collection of those). The quote from Ned that stayed with me most was this: "If you think life is bad, you are an optimist. It's gonna get worse". He was that practical. Ned also knew how to take a joke. I dared enough to have a picture of Gandalf as Ned when thanking him in my PhD defense (and saw him laugh). Ned truly is the wizard of DNA nanotechnology.
One of the concluding slides from my PhD defense at NYU in 2015 — Thanking Ned for being a great advisor and a wizard, and one of my favorite Ned quotes.
Online celebration of Ned’s 75th birthday (December 16, 2020).
In 2015, many of Ned's former students and colleagues met in New York City to celebrate Ned's 70th birthday. It was an event to remember (picture of Ned from that event below). Last year, on December 16, 2020, we celebrated Ned's 75th birthday online (picture on left). Another birthday wish was due for him next month…
Ned at the celebration of his 70th birthday in New York City (2015).
I'm very glad and privileged to have spent many years working with Ned, and to have spent so many hours and trips with him through the years (all the way to San Francisco for a week once). His wisdom - not just in science, but in life - was unending. I'm lucky to have been with him in those moments when he shared his wisdom.
We miss you, Ned. We love you. Your legacy will live on.