Grant for Exploratory Research: Novel Methods for AttachingDNA to a Surface for STM and AFM Experiments

分析和表面化学计划中的这项研究项目是作为探索性研究的小额赠款而获得资助的。这项研究将开发两种新的方法将DNA和其他生物分子连接到底物上，以便随后通过扫描探针显微镜进行检查。这些附着方法的成功实施将使扫描隧道和原子力显微镜的全部功能被应用于生物分子和其他大分子体系的结构表征。这种结构信息对于理解生物分子反应的机制及其与生命过程的关系是必不可少的。在这个研究项目中，将开发将大的生物分子锚定在底物上进行显微镜检查的能力。扫描显微镜探针与正在研究的分子的相互作用限制了这些强大的大分子方法的适用性。这项研究项目承诺解决这些限制，导致更好地了解这些具有生物重要性的分子的结构。

This research project in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program has been funded as a Small Grant for Exploratory Research. The research will develop two novel methods for attaching DNA and other biomolecules to substrates for their subsequent examination by scanning probe microscopy. Successful implementation of these attachment methods will allow the full power of scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy to be applied to the structural characterization of biomolecules and other macromolecular systems. Such structural information is essential to understanding the mechanisms of biomolecule reactions and their relation to life processes. %%% The ability to anchor a large biomolecule to a substrate for microscopic examination will be developed in this research project. The interaction of scanning microscopy probes with the molecule under study has limited the applicability of these powerful methods for large molecules. This research project promises to address these limitations, resulting in a better understanding of the structure of these biologically important molecules.