In this award, funded by the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Aric Opdahl of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and his undergraduate student researchers will be supported to investigate the thermal denaturation of DNA on surfaces using a variety of analytical methods, including surface Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence imaging, atomic force microscopy, and other methods. The work aims to elucidate how the stability of DNA changes upon binding to surfaces.
Besides being important as the carrier of genetic information in many higher organisms, DNA is increasingly being used in nanotechnology, medical diagnostics, and other unexpected areas of technology. Many of the newer applications of DNA in technology require the immobilization of DNA onto solid surfaces or other structures. The binding of DNA to surfaces causes changes in its properties that are still poorly understood, it is the aim of research like that of Prof. Opdahl and his students to learn much more about the ways in which the properties of DNA change upon binding. Besides the broader scientific impact of this research, the undergraduate research students participating in this research will be exposed to cutting-edge research in analytical chemistry with a talented researcher and educator. The research program also includes an international collaboration with the International Iberian National Laboratory, which will broaden the horizons of the young people working with Prof. Opdahl on this research.
