CAREER: Advanced Single Molecule Techniques on DNA-Protein Interactions

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The scientific component of this project focuses on the development and utilization of advanced single-molecule techniques to study the fundamentals of DNA-protein interactions. Methods such as x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance have provided a vast array of structural detail for biological molecules, yet are largely limited to a static view that is based on ensemble measurements. In this work single molecule fluorescence detection and spectroscopy will be combined with nano-mechanical manipulations, bio-friendly surface engineering, and site-directed mutagenesis to construct suitable DNA structures and engineered proteins and to study their dynamic interactions at the single molecule level. The educational component of the project focuses on the expansion of the physics undergraduate program at the university through a course that will introduce students in physics, chemistry, bioengineering, and biology to both traditional and modern techniques in biophysics. The course will have a strong laboratory component that will be integrated with the university's REU program and a new departmental senior thesis program. Students will be introduced to some of the latest biophysical techniques, including patch clap, atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, and single molecule fluorescence detection and spectroscopy. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Physics and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.