NSC - Design and screening of DNA-functionalized hydrogels for contaminants in water

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With the rapid increase in global population and continuous release of new chemical contaminants into the environment, maintaining safe and sufficient natural resources, especially water, has become increasingly challenging. It is strategically important to develop new technologies that target these problems. One important goal is to develop materials that both detect contaminants in water and remove them at a low cost. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been developed to partially fulfill this goal, where polymers are made in the presence of target molecules such that the polymers can "remember" the shape of these molecules. However, traditional MIPs suffer from low binding affinity, selectivity, and often difficult to couple to detectable signals. We propose to incorporate short DNA fragments and nanomaterials into the MIP formulation to enhance selectivity and provide a platform for signal generation. We will combine both rational DNA sequence design and computer-aided simulation to establish optimal DNA sequences to prepare high affinity MIPs. The state-of-the-art combinatorial materials screening technology will be used to test these materials for extracting target contaminants. This is a joint project between Canada and Taiwan. The Canadian team will focus on combinatorial methods for screening optimal gel formulations and the fundamental physical processes through detailed computational modeling, while the Taiwanese team will concentrate on rational design, developing analytical methods for validation and device incorporation of gels. These two approaches are complementary and each side will benefit from the facilities and expertise of the whole collaboration. This project has attracted a few industry partners including Geosyntec, a leading company in the field of environmental remediation. This project falls within the strategic target area of Environmental Science and Technologies, specifically, the research topic of Ensuring Secure Community Water Systems. We expect the project to benefit both Canada and Taiwan through creation of new intellectual property and new science, generation of new materials for environmental protection, and training of highly qualified personnel.