CAREER: Metal-mediated Supramolecular Materials in Water: Towards Programmable Molecular Complexity with DNA-delivery Functions

无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目的CAREER奖支持德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校Juan C. Noveron教授研究水中金属脂质复合物的超分子化学。对分子结构进行系统修饰，建立结构-功能关系。用x射线光谱学和显微镜方法研究由氧化还原和配体交换反应引起的水的超分子相变。研究了5 ~ 15 Kbp的DNA质粒与金属脂质复合物的包封，并确定了DNA凝聚物的结构和热力学稳定性。固有荧光金属-脂质复合物将用于研究dna凝聚机制和评估细胞内递送。与El Paso地区的一所初中和一所高中的科学课程的持续接触将在奖励期间每月提供一次NSF的同伴领导的团队学习（PLTL）活动。在这些活动中，将培养初高中本科生成为初高中学生的导师。每年将开设一次以科学和英语写作为重点的高年级课程。有关STEM本科生的电视纪录片的制作将与大学的制作单位合作。在水中具有自组织行为的分子的设计可以为新兴技术和最终医学提供有用的应用材料。具有dna传递功能的金属介导的超分子载体可能在生物技术工具和基因疫苗中发挥重要作用。在水中使用氧化还原和配体触发的超分子相变将为未来细胞内激活的传递系统铺平道路。

This CAREER award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Professor Juan C. Noveron at the University of Texas at El Paso to investigate the supramolecular chemistry of metallo-lipid complexes in water. Systematic modifications in the molecular structure will be carried out to establish structure-function relationships. Supramolecular phase transitions in water induced by redox- and ligand-exchange reactions will be studied using X-ray spectroscopy and microscopy methods. Encapsulation of DNA plasmids of 5 to 15 Kbp with the metallo-lipid complexes will be investigated, and the structure and thermodynamic stability of DNA-condensates will be determined. Intrinsically fluorescent metallo-lipid complexes will be used to study the mechanism of DNA-condensation and to assess intracellular delivery. A sustained engagement with science classes of a middle school and a high school from the El Paso area will offer NSF's Peer-Led-Team-Learning (PLTL) activities once a month for the duration of the award. Undergraduate students in their middle years will be trained to become mentors to the middle and high school students during these activities. An upper division class focused on science and on english composition will be offered once a year. The production of a TV documentary about undergraduate STEM research student will be developed in collaboration with the University's production unit.The design of molecules with self-organized behavior in water can potentially afford materials with useful applications in emerging technologies and eventually medicine. Metal-mediated supramolecular vehicles designed with DNA-delivery functions may play important roles as biotechnology tools and eventually gene vaccines. The use of redox- and ligand-triggered supramolecular phase transitions in water will pave the way to intracellularly activated delivery systems in the future.