ERA NanoSci - Molecular Machines that use structured DNA for directed movement

我们建议开发一种用于药物发现的动态纳米工具。这个纳米工具是基于一个纳米致动器，它使用一个生物分子马达来操纵DNA和附着的物体，在这个例子中是一个磁珠。基于磁阻（MR）设备的电子传感系统将检测磁珠的运动并输出电子信号。DNA和马达都可以成为药物的靶标，这意味着该设备可以用于筛选药物-靶标相互作用。该系统提供的主要优势是单分子检测和事件报告，这将提高灵敏度到可能的极限。这一概念将通过新颖地使用分支和发夹结构来提供dna结合蛋白结合位置的信息，这将使我们能够识别针对非运动dna结合蛋白（如转录因子）的药物。

We propose to develop a dynamic nanotool for use in drug discovery. This nanotool is based around a nanoactuator that uses a biological molecular motor to manipulate DNA and attached objects, in this case a magnetic bead. An electronic sensing system, based on MagnetoResistive (MR) devices will detect motion of the magnetic bead and output an electronic signal. Both the DNA and the motors can be targets for drugs, which means the device can be used in screening drug-target interactions. The major advantage this system offers is single molecule detection and reporting of events, which will improve sensitivity to limits that are possible. The concept will be expanded by making novel use of branched and hairpin structures to provide information about position of binding of DNA-binding proteins, which will allow us to identify drugs targeted at non-motor DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors.