Confinement, Dynamics, and Orientation of DNA at Nano-interfaces

DNA分子是遗传密码的组成部分，经常被检测用于诊断从癌症到感染的一系列疾病。了解DNA是如何在生物传感器表面组织的，对于开发更好、更敏感和更具体的诊断分析是很重要的。这个项目将通过理论和实验的结合来获得这样的理解。技术描述：本项目将结合实验和理论研究DNA螺旋与金纳米颗粒的相互作用。纳米粒子由于其不同寻常的表面化学性质和纳米尺度下的形状对纳米粒子- dna相互作用的影响而成为实验生物学和纳米医学的新工具。该合作项目旨在通过将实验光谱和生物物理研究与原子级理论模拟相结合来填补现有数据的空白。具体的努力将应用于系统研究表面化学，DNA序列和离子存在对DNA-纳米颗粒相互作用和结合的影响。实验研究将为理论模型提供必要的反馈。总之，这些研究将提供dna -纳米界面的基础知识，从而促进纳米生物传感器、dna基材料和基因治疗新方法的进一步发展，最终为提高生活质量做出贡献。

DNA molecules are building blocks of the genetic code and are detected frequently to diagnose a range of diseases from cancer to infections. Understanding of how DNA organizes on the surface of the biosensor is important in order to develop better, more sensitive and specific diagnostic assays. This project will gain such understanding through a combination of theory and experiments.Technical description:This project will combine experimental and theoretical efforts to study interactions of DNA helices with gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticles emerge as promising new tools for experimental biology and nanomedicine because of the unusual surface chemistry and effect of shape at the nanoscale on the nanoparticle-DNA interactions. This collaborative project is designed to fill the existing void of data by combining experimental spectroscopic and biophysical studies with atomistic-level theoretical simulations. Specific efforts will be applied to systematic investigation of the effects of surface chemistry, DNA sequence, and presence of ions on DNA-nanoparticle interactions and binding. The experimental studies will provide an essential feedback for the theoretical models. Taken together, these studies will provide fundamental knowledge of DNA-nano-interface thus, enabling further development of nano-biosensors, DNA-based materials, and novel approaches for gene therapy, ultimately, contributing to improving quality of life.