With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program at the National Science Foundation, Professor Andrea Holmes of Doane College in Crete, Nebraska will develop new macromolecular color sensors for the detection of abused narcotics. Professor Holmes, a post-doctoral research associate, and an undergraduate research team will work primarily toward the design of sensors for chiral drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine by 1) developing molecular color sensors from aptamers (oligonucleotide-based binders) that change color in the presence of small quantities of drugs, 2) testing the utilization of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy as a technique for discriminating between the enantiomers of chiral drugs that are often abused, and 3) developing a solid matrix that allows the new chemical sensors to be attached to a solid support for actual use outside the laboratory in a field test product. The organic synthetic and analytical techniques used include solid-phase synthesis, the determination of binding constants by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, combinatorial 96-well plate methods, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF or Electrospray Ionization mass spectrometry. The exploration of incorporating aptamer sensors into sol-gels reflects the creative symbiosis of solution phase and solid phase chemistry.

Results from this CAREER award will provide an improved understanding of achiral host and chiral drug interactions and the development of a library of aptamer-dye structures that are sensitive and specific to abused narcotics. The work may eventually lead to new drug-detection tools for forensic scientists and others. The PI will integrate the research into undergraduate courses in organic chemistry in classes enrolling predominantly rural students, many of whom intend to become science teachers. Students participating on the research team will provide classroom activities for local middle school students and return to their own high schools as science mentors.

Project Report

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Dr. Andrea Holmes, the PI and associate professor of chemistry at Doane College, searched for new methods and sensing applications that are both simpler and higher in resolution than existing technologies. The technology could impact diverse areas, such as disease screening via detection of metabolites or their precursors; detection of chemical markers such as during an injury; narcotics, explosives, chemical and biological weapons detection. Key Insight: Working with molecules at the micro and nanoscale (one-billionth of a meter, smaller than what a regular microscope can see) offers new opportunities because they behave differently than at the macro scale in which we live. The PI has created a new generation of micro- to nanometer scale sensors utilizing small molecules that act as recognition elements for a diverse array of chemicals. The overall goal of the project was the development and miniaturization of DETECHIP, a small molecule detection array. DETECHIP is a sensing technology created in the PI' laboratory. The long-term goal was to engage in multidisciplinary and collaborative bio-sensor design process for uniform sensor development of small molecules. DETECHIP uses a family of small molecules shown to exhibit differential colorimetric and fluorometric responses upon exposure to a variety of analytes. The PI has demonstrated the great potential of DETECHIP including initial efforts for incorporation of DETECHIP chemical sensors onto various solid supports for the future development of a hand-held device with commercial potential such as a modified smart phone. NSF-acknowledged publications have resulted from the CAREER funded work, and many of the articles were co-authored by the PI’s undergraduate students, high school teachers, post-doctoral fellows, and American Chemical Society Project Seed high school students. Three high school science teachers, five Project SEED students, five post-doctoral fellows, and one international visiting scholar were also involved during the CAREER award. The post-docs published at least three articles as corresponding authors. The majority of the students presented their research at national and international conferences. The PI and her students have also developed several chiroptical sensors that are able to detect Z-DNA in the presence of B-DNA. Furthermore, the PI and her team have prepared a porphyrin tweezer that was able to differentiate between the street drug D-methamphetamine from the harmless L-methamphetamine that is found in Vicks Vapor Inhalor. Finally, papers have been published on the discovery of new fluorophores and optical brighteners.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Chemistry (CHE)
Application #
0747949
Program Officer
Tyrone D. Mitchell
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2008-02-01
Budget End
2014-01-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$525,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Doane College
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Crete
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68333