Multiscale Coarse-Grained Modeling with Experimental Verification of DNA-Carbon Nanotube Complexes

这项拟议研究的目标是通过一种综合的实验和建模方法来揭示碳纳米管(CNT)和DNA分子之间潜在的相互作用机制。DNA-CNT复合体既有碳纳米管独特的机电性质，又有固定化单链DNA特有的分子识别能力，在生物分子检测和基因传递方面有着广阔的应用前景。尽管之前进行了大量的实验工作，但人们对DNA-CNT界面的了解仍然很少，这极大地限制了这种新型应用的可靠性和效率。这项研究将极大地增强我们目前对DNA-CNT界面的了解，并将为实现高灵敏度的小型化DNA-CNT生物传感器铺平道路。辅助教育计划将大大提高普通公众对基于纳米技术的生物医学应用的认识，以及年轻研究人员对令人兴奋的纳米生物技术领域的参与。

The goal of the proposed research is to uncover the underlying interaction mechanisms between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and DNA molecules through an integrated experimental and modeling approach. DNA-CNT complexes, benefiting from both the unique electro-mechanical properties of CNTs and the specific molecular recognition capabilities of the immobilized single-stranded DNA, hold great promise for bio-molecular detection and gene delivery applications. Despite considerable prior experimental efforts, the DNA-CNT interface is still poorly understood, greatly limiting the reliability and the efficiency of such novel applications. The proposed research will significantly enhance our current knowledge of the DNA-CNT interface, and will pave the way toward the realization of high-sensitivity miniaturized DNA-CNT based biosensors. The complementary educational plan will greatly increase both the general public's awareness of nanotechnology-based biomedical applications and the participation of young investigators in the exciting field of nanobiotechnology.