EAGER: Dynamic Surface Interactions for Single Molecule Imaging of Biochemical Reactions

在这个由化学系化学测量与成像项目资助的EAGER项目中，加州大学默塞德分校的叶涛教授和他的团队将使用原子力显微镜（AFM）来可视化锚定在电活性表面上的DNA分子的构象变化和生化反应，即在电化学控制下与分子吸附物动态改变其亲和性的表面。这种新颖的动态表面将有助于解决生物化学反应AFM可视化的长期挑战：如果生物大分子被固定，这是高分辨率AFM所需要的，与表面的相互作用会干扰反应。动态表面将扩大单分子AFM成像可以探测的表面和反应的范围，显著减少测量伪影，提高成像分辨率。因此，该项目将进一步加深我们在纳米尺度和单分子水平上对生物大分子反应的理解。该项目将在纳米尺度测量和成像的前沿培养研究生。拟议的研究还将为加州大学默塞德分校的本科生提供研究机会，其中许多人是代表性不足的少数民族。

In this EAGER project funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Tao Ye at University of California-Merced and his group will use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize the conformational changes and biochemical reactions of DNA molecules that are anchored to electroactive surfaces, i.e., surfaces that dynamically change their affinity with molecular adsorbates under electrochemical control. Such novel dynamic surfaces will help address a long-standing challenge in AFM visualization of biochemical reactions: if the biomacromolecules are pinned down, which is needed for high resolution AFM, the interactions with the surface perturb the reaction. The dynamic surfaces will expand the repertoire of surfaces and reactions that can be probed by single molecule AFM imaging, significantly reduce the measurement artifacts, and improve the imaging resolution. Therefore, the project will further our understanding of the reactions of biomacromolecules at the nanoscale and single molecule level. The project will train graduate students at the cutting edge of nanoscale measurement and imaging. The proposed research will also provide research opportunities to undergraduate students at UC Merced, many of whom are underrepresented minorities.