Marija Drndic

Marija Drndic (born November 2, 1971) is the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania. She works on two-dimensional materials and novel spectroscopic techniques.

Early life and education Drndic studied physics and mathematics at Harvard University and spent a year at the University of Cambridge in the Semiconductor Physics Group. At Cambridge Drndic worked on quantum transport of coupled gases with Michael Pepper. As a postdoctoral researcher Drndic worked on electron transport in cadmium selenide nanocrystals. She worked alongside Marc A. Kastner and Moungi Bawendi on novel spectroscopies.

Her work considers low-dimensional materials including nanowires, nanocrystals and biomaterials. In particular, Drndic works on two-dimensional nanopores, which are nanoscale size holes that can be used to detect single molecules. They are typically used for biomolecular analysis, but were unable to sequence DNA. Drndic demonstrated it is possible to use light to control the shape of nanopores, indicating it may be possible to fabricate them using light. By removing individual atoms from the nanopores using ion beams, Drndic demonstrated that the nanopores can also be used in water desalination. She has shown that nanopores can be integrated with field-effect transistors to sense nearby ionic and electrical currents. They can also provide information on the physical and chemical properties of biomolecules including DNA and proteins.

Selected publications Her publications include;

Drndic holds several patents for electronic devices and thin film structures.