Molecular Foundry Seminar

Nanocrystal Molecules as Probes for Single Biomolecule Imaging

Professor Young-wook Jun, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UC San Francisco,
Tuesday, December 7th at 1:30 pm, Bldg. 67 - Rm. 3111

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Abstract:

Nanocrystal molecules, a well-defined grouping of coupled individual nanocrystal artificial atoms, exhibits new characteristics that are markedly distinct from those of the component nanocrystals. Their chemical and physical properties are a function of interparticle couplings, and hence a function of the interparticle distance, the bonding mode, and the nanocrystal-molecule geometry (e.g. symmetry). The coupling phenomena of the nanocrystal molecules can be used to construct a new type of biological probe for monitoring complex biomolecular behaviors. Unlike conventional nanocrystal bio-probes that only report the spatial distribution of target biomolecules, nanocrystal molecules use the interparticle- and symmetry- distance dependent coupling properties between the component nanocrystals that provide optical and magnetic transduction of dynamic structural and environmental changes across a single linker biomolecule. Here, I will present some examples of nanocrystal molecule probes for monitoring the assembly and deformations of biomolecular complexes. In live cells The nanocrystal molecule probes can report dynamic assembly of proteases and membrane receptors such as caspases and receptor tyrosin kinases (RTKs) at the single molecule level.