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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Prof. Nathan Gianneschi, University of California, San Diego
Programming and switching the morphology of polymeric nanoparticles with DNA, peptides and enzymes
School of Chemistry & Biochemistry Special Seminar
Nanoscale particles capable of undergoing dramatic changes in morphology in response to stimuli are expected to have broad utility in a range of important applications including targeted drug delivery and detection strategies. To date, development of stimuli responsive systems of this type have focused on a range of triggers including pH, temperature, and to a lesser extent, the action of enzymes. Nanoparticles capable of undergoing reversible changes in morphology in a programmable manner remain relatively unexplored. The sequence selective recognition properties of DNA, and its performance as a selective substrate for enzymes make it ideal as an informational element in the synthesis of stimuli-responsive nanoscale particles. Herein, an approach to shape shifting soft polymeric materials is presented that unites the special encoding, and electrostatic properties of the DNA polymer as a construction tool and as an element in the logical manipulation of an artificial chemical system. In addition, we will describe peptide-based polymeric nanoparticle systems and their ability to undergo well-defined changes in structure and shape upon interactions with various enzymatic stimuli in complex biological environments.
For more information contact Prof. Andrew Lyon (404-894-4090).