Surface modification of gold nanoparticle - DNA conjugages toward enhanced functionality and stability

COLL 209

Sunho Park, shpark@mit.edu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave. Rm 56-354, Cambridge, MA 02139 and Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, schiffer@mit.edu, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biological Engineering Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 56-341C, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.
Nano-science has implemented the hybridization and de-hybridization of DNA, one of its fundamental functions. Especially the conjugates of gold nanoparticle and DNA (AuNP-DNA) have been extensively explored for their potentials in bio-applications, for example, DNA delivery for gene therapy. However, DNA strands are known to adsorb onto AuNPs' surface and this can limit the hybridization ability of AuNP-DNA conjugates. In this reason, methods of chemical modification of AuNP surface and evaluating DNA conformation via Ferguson analysis were already proposed by the authors. In this work some pairs of AuNP and DNA with different sizes and lengths experience the same chemistry and evaluations, then are utilized for some integrated systems that are networks of the AuNP's connected by hybridized DNA's. Surface modified AuNP clearly shows enhanced stability and hybridization specificity in the system, which infers the effectiveness of those methods toward some bio-systems where non-specific adsorptions should be eliminated.
 

Fundamental Research in Colloid and Surface Chemistry
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- East Registration, Poster

Division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007