(337m) Self-Organized Nanoparticle-DNA Superstructures

Understanding the self-organization of nanoscale materials is one of the key challenges to nanotechnology[1]. Of particular interest is the self-organization of biological materials with nanoparticles. Developing a fundamental understanding of the interactions between biological materials and nanoparticles will prove useful in the development of a novel class of materials as well as in providing insight onto the impact of nanomaterials on the body. This work considers the self-organization of semiconductor nanoparticles with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

DNA based gene testing is used for diagnostic and presymptomatic testing of diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, and Alzheimer's disease as well as for forensic and identity testing[2]. Nanostructures that contain DNA for sensing genes and semiconductor materials for monitoring signal changes after gene detection could prove useful for creating the next generation of DNA based biosensors for gene testing. In electronic devices, decreasing the size of components and increasing the uniformity of the pattern density on circuits will lead to more efficient and faster electronics[3].

In this study the electrostatic interactions of semiconductor nanoparticles and plasmid DNA or linear DNA are used to drive the self-organization of nanoparticle-DNA superstructures that could potentially be used in DNA based gene sensing or nanoelectronics. Specifically this research seeks to: (a) create stable superstructures with Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and plasmid and linear DNA, (b) charaterize the interactions between the nanoparticle-DNA systems, (c) determine the pair potential of various possible interactions within the system, and (d) investigate the possibility of manipulating stable superstructures to create dynamic architectures.

1. Mirkin, C.A., Programming the Assembly of Two- and Three-Dimensional Architectures with DNA and Nanoscale Inorganic Building Blocks. Inorganic Chemistry, 2000. 39(11): p. 2258-2272.

2. Human Genome Project Information: Gene Testing. US Department of Energy and Human Genome Project 2008; Available from: www.ornl.gov/hgmis.

3. Melosh, N.A., et al., Ultrahigh-Density Nanowire Lattices and Circuits. Science, 2003. 300(5616): p. 112-115.