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

DNA分子是遗传密码的组成部分，经常被检测出来诊断从癌症到感染的一系列疾病。了解DNA在生物传感器表面的组织方式对于开发更好、更灵敏和更特异的诊断分析方法非常重要。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：这个项目将结合实验和理论来研究DNA螺旋与金纳米颗粒的相互作用。纳米颗粒因其独特的表面化学和纳米尺度上的形状对纳米颗粒-DNA相互作用的影响而成为实验生物学和纳米医学领域的一种有前途的新工具。这个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的数据空白。具体工作将应用于系统地研究表面化学、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。综上所述，这些研究将提供DNA-纳米界面的基础知识，从而使纳米生物传感器、基于DNA的材料和基因治疗的新方法的进一步发展，最终有助于提高生活质量。

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.