Surface Electrochemistry of DNA Conformational Switches

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The main goal of the proposed research is to obtain a thorough knowledge of the surface electrochemistry of functional deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA). It is essential to understand the nature of DNA which plays a pivotal role in biology as the carrier of genetic information. Besides typical single strands and double helices, complex DNA nanostructures (so-called DNA conformational switches) can be constructed to have desired functions or reactivities. Using standard biochemical assays, perfect double helices and properly designed DNA switches in solution have been found to efficiently mediate charge flow. However, this is not the consensus mechanism when they are bound to an electrode surface; in that case both DNA-mediated and direct electron transfer are supported by experimental observations.