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CeNS Colloquium

Kleiner Physik-Hörsaal, Fakultät für Physik
Date: 20.05.2016, Time: 15:30h

DNA-based micro- and nanostructures

Prof. Christof M. Niemeyer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

The advent of DNA microarray technology in the course of the human genome project in the late 1980s has led to the evolution of sophisticated DNA-functionalized solid substrates which are nowadays routine tools for fundamental and applied research in biology and medicine. However, the versatility of DNA biochips goes far beyond the established applications in genotyping and expression profiling: The chips’ capability for highly parallel, site-directed immobilization of complementary nucleic acids can be harnessed to assemble complex surface architectures comprised of colloidal materials and proteins, thereby enabling novel sensor platforms for protein and small molecule analyses [1]. An even larger potential of DNA surfaces can be exploited by implementation of functional DNA devices and structural DNA nanotechnology.

I will give a brief overview on essential methodologies used in our lab to realize novel applications of DNA chips. These include bottom-up self-assembly and top-down microstructuring processes along with (bio)orthogonal immobilization and surface chemistries. Case studies concern the investigation of cell adhesion [2] and signaling in living cells [3, 4].

[1] Meyer et al. (2014) Curr Opin Chem Biol 18C, 8
[2] Schroeder et al. (2007) Angew Chem Int Ed 46, 4180
[3] Arrabito et al. (2013) Small 9, 4243
[4] Angelin et al. (2015) Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 54, 15813