DNA molecules are building blocks of the genetic code and are detected frequently to diagnose a range of diseases from cancer to infections. Understanding of how DNA organizes on the surface of the biosensor is important in order to develop better, more sensitive and specific diagnostic assays. This project will gain such understanding through a combination of theory and experiments.
This project will combine experimental and theoretical efforts to study interactions of DNA helices with gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticles emerge as promising new tools for experimental biology and nanomedicine because of the unusual surface chemistry and effect of shape at the nanoscale on the nanoparticle-DNA interactions. This collaborative project is designed to fill the existing void of data by combining experimental spectroscopic and biophysical studies with atomistic-level theoretical simulations. Specific efforts will be applied to systematic investigation of the effects of surface chemistry, DNA sequence, and presence of ions on DNA-nanoparticle interactions and binding. The experimental studies will provide an essential feedback for the theoretical models. Taken together, these studies will provide fundamental knowledge of DNA-nano-interface thus, enabling further development of nano-biosensors, DNA-based materials, and novel approaches for gene therapy, ultimately, contributing to improving quality of life.
