This research project, supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focuses on the development of sequence-specific analyses of large DNA molecules using single molecule detection. Professor Nie and his students at Indiana University will use sequence specific DNA-binding proteins that have been modified with fluorescent tags so that their binding to DNA can be detected. The specific sequence sites at which this binding occurs will be quantified using an integrated laser-induced fluorescence and tapping-mode atomic force microscope that has been developed in the Professor Nie s laboratory. This work will benefit several areas including the use of DNA diagnostics, gene mapping, and fundamental studies of DNA replication, transcription, and recombination. This project will develop a highly sensitive and selective method for identifying DNA molecules that have specific sequences of interest. Sequence specific DNA-binding proteins that have been tagged with a fluorescent group will be detected using a new laser- induced detector combined with an atomic force microscope. This work will have impact on several areas of molecular genetics and DNA analyses.
