CAREER: Integrating DNA and Inorganic Surfaces for Functional Materials Design

这项教师早期职业发展（Career）资助的目标是发展对dna功能化表面的结构和特性的基本理解，并制定规则，以促进生物传感器新功能材料的设计，并提高我们控制和指导材料组装过程的能力。用DNA功能化的表面用于生物传感或生物、有机和无机部分的自组装。表面DNA的密度和结构、表面材料和曲率的选择以及表面固定化方式对DNA功能化表面的性能和DNA基材料组装行为有显著影响。本研究将利用分子建模技术对DNA结构、表面设计和DNA功能化表面特性之间的关系进行理论描述。如果成功，该研究将促进DNA微阵列和生物传感器材料、基于DNA的靶向药物递送、DNA纳米材料组装和DNA定向表面组装和图案的进展。拟议的研究项目将与教育活动紧密结合，并将为高中，研究生和本科生提供与DNA和功能表面相关学科的新教育机会。这项研究的结果将被整合到一门关于纳米尺度模拟和建模的新课程中。这个项目包括一个面向高中和初中学生的教材设计拓展模块。

The objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant is to develop a fundamental understanding of the structure and properties of DNA-functionalized surfaces and to formulate rules that will facilitate the design of new functional materials for biosensors and enhance our ability to control and direct the materials assembly processes. Surfaces functionalized with DNA are used for biosensing or for the self-assembly of biological, organic and inorganic moieties. DNA density and structure on the surface, choice of surface material and curvature, and type of surface immobilization can significantly influence the properties of DNA-functionalized surface and the behavior of DNA-based material assembly. This study will utilize molecular modeling techniques to formulate a theoretical description of the correlation between DNA structure, surface design and properties of DNA-functionalized surfaces.If successful, the research will facilitate progress in materials for DNA microarrays and biosensors, DNA based targeted drug delivery, DNA nanomaterials assembly, and DNA directed surface assembly and patterning. The proposed research program will be closely integrated with the educational activities and will provide new education opportunities in disciplines related to DNA and functional surfaces for high school, graduate and undergraduate students. The results from this research will be integrated into a new course addressing nanoscale simulations and modeling. This project includes an outreach module on materials design for high and middle school students.