NER: FCS Measurements of Trapped Gas Phase Biomolecules

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

In this exploratory project, funded jointly by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division and the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Program of the Physics Division, Parks will develop an understanding of how best to apply fluctuation correlation spectroscopy (FCS) techniques to measure biomolecule dynamics in the gas phase. The research will concentrate on characterizing Coulomb interactions and the identification of relationships between gas phase and solution phase measurements. To this end two types of experiments will be performed. In the first type, the dynamics of a DNA hairpin will be measured in the gas phase. The equilibrium constant and opening/closing rates of conformational changes will be determined as a function of temperature for different charge states. These experiments will quantify the effects of Coulomb interactions in the absence of water shielding. In the second type, the dynamics of a DNA hairpin will be measured as function of the hydration level. These measurements will link the "physics" of the former experiments with the "biology" as currently known from solution phase studies. Both graduate and undergraduate students will participate in this research.