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General Information
Categories: advanced materials, nanotechnology
BSA 07-29: DNA guided Nanoparticle Assemblies
BNL Reference Number: BSA 07-29
Patent Status: Application Number 20090275465 was published on November 5, 2009
Summary
A schematic of regulation of nanoparticle aggregation by functionalization with complementary, non-complementary, and partially rigid oligonucleotide strands
Nanoparticles tend to aggregate in solution, which is fine when that is the desired outcome. Functionalizing the nanoparticles with oligonucleotides (DNA, RNA, PNA) adds a degree of control over the aggregation. By using both single-stranded complementary oligonucleotides as well as non-interacting oligonucleotides to functionalize the nanoparticles, one can control the rate at which particles aggregate and the average size of the resulting aggregates.
Description
Two types of DNA with different functions are attached to particles' surfaces. The first type - complementary single strands of DNA - forms a double helix. The second type is non-complementary, neutral DNA, which provides a repulsive force.
Benefits
The addition of the repulsive force allows for regulating the size of particle clusters and the speed of their self-assembly with more precision.
Applications and Industries
Such fine-tuning of materials at the molecular level promises applications in efficient energy conversion, cell-targeted systems for drug delivery, and bio-molecular sensing for environmental monitoring and medical applications.
Journal Publication
Have Questions?
For more information about this technology, contact Kimberley Elcess, (631) 344-4151.
Tags: DNA, nanostructures, PNA, RNA
