A rationale chemical strategy for designing multi-functional nano systems

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The Chan group's research program is centred around the chemical synthesis and design of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles and to probe the interactions of nanoparticles with blood components, cells, and tissues. A combination of these two research activities with computational analysis can lead to the generation of design specifications and guidelines for a more rational approach to chemically synthesizing nanotechnologies for biological applications. We have discovered nanoparticle size, shape, and surface chemistry are key physical-chemical properties that determine the type of serum proteins bound to the nanoparticle surface; their uptake, accumulation, and excotyosis from mammalian cells; and the amount, rate, and type of organs with which they interact. This burgeoning research area was pioneered by the Chan group and has been coined "Nano-Bio Interactions". Studies on this topic by the Chan lab have been published in top chemistry, nanotechnology, and engineering journals and have been cited over 13,000 times in the last six years. These studies have suggested that for nanotechnology to be effective for biological applications will require the development of dynamic nanosystems that can morph in different biological environments. A key challenge is to elucidate how to design nanosystems that can change sizes, shapes, and/or surface chemistries in response to biological cues because different physical-chemical properties may be required for optimal nanoparticle performance in various biological environments. This project will explore the design of shape-shifting nanosystems. Specifically, the Chan group will design nanosystems by using nucleic acid sequences to assemble core and satellite inorganic nanoparticles.  Shape-shifting will be designed by placing different types of nucleic acid sequences on the surface of the core and satellite nanoparticles, and using linker sequences to compete and re-position the core-satellite nanoparticles within the nanosystem, leading to change in the overall size, shape, and surface chemistry.  Our project has four aims: (1) to explore the design of shape-shifting nanosystems and to develop an optical strategy to monitor the shape-shifting process, (2) to determine the impact of serum protein interaction on the shape-shifting process, (3) to determine whether nanosystem-cellular interaction can be altered, changed, and mediated by shape, and (4) to determine whether, upon entry into a cell, nanosystem shape can be controlled by nucleic acid sequences in the cellular cytoplasm. This study will provide an innovative strategy to design dynamic nanosystems, which will lead to new materials for electronics, solar cells, biological sensors, and biological delivery applications. This will be a leap forward in the design of nanotechnologies.**