Overseas Short Visit - Neutron Scattering Studies on DNA Compaction by Dendrimers

海外短期访问——树枝状聚合物DNA压实的中子散射研究

基本信息

批准号：
EP/E047394/1
负责人：
Karen Edler
金额：
$ 0.35万
依托单位：
University of Bath
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2007
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2007 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FE047394%2F1
关键词：
Overseas Short Visit Neutron Scattering

项目摘要

We aim to study the compaction of DNA by artificial dendrimers as part of a project to understand how such large molecules as DNA can be compressed into the small space of a cell nucleus. Our overall goal (as part of a larger project) is to build a synthetic analogue of a real cell nucleus which is transcriptionally competent in order to create a system for synthesising proteins and other therapeutic agents. Dendrimers are one possible method towards packaging DNA in this synthetic analogue nucleus. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques allow us to study the nanoscale structures formed in solution and to take advantage of the wide variation in signal caused by substituting hydrogen in the structures for deuterium. This enables us to dramatically enhance the signal without significantly altering the chemistry of the system and gives us much more information about the structures of interest. Ultra-small angle scattering (USANS) uses the same technique to enhance the signal and can measure much larger structures than SANS, so is required to study this system where structures can range from small single dendrimer-DNA complexes up to multiple dendrimer-DNA aggregates. USANS is not currently available in the UK so the experiment will be carried out at the NIST Centre for Neutron Research in the US. The work is a collaboration between a group from the UK and one from Lund, and will help form the basis of an ongoing collaboration which is currently developing between these groups. The applicant has extensive experience in SANS measurements on aggregates in solution which will be required in this experiment so that critical decisions affecting the data to be collected can be made on the spot during the experiment. This will ensure that we make maximum use of the very limited experimental time available on these instruments.

我们的目标是研究人工树枝状聚合物对 DNA 的压缩，作为了解 DNA 这样的大分子如何被压缩到细胞核的狭小空间中的项目的一部分。我们的总体目标（作为更大项目的一部分）是构建真实细胞核的合成类似物，该细胞核具有转录能力，以便创建用于合成蛋白质和其他治疗剂的系统。树枝状聚合物是在这种合成类似核中包装 DNA 的一种可能方法。小角中子散射 (SANS) 技术使我们能够研究溶液中形成的纳米级结构，并利用结构中的氢取代氘所引起的信号的广泛变化。这使我们能够在不显着改变系统化学成分的情况下显着增强信号，并为我们提供更多有关感兴趣结构的信息。超小角度散射 (USANS) 使用相同的技术来增强信号，并且可以测量比 SANS 大得多的结构，因此需要研究该系统，其中结构的范围可以从小型的单个树枝状聚合物 - DNA 复合物到多个树枝状聚合物 - DNA 聚集体。 USANS 目前在英国尚不可用，因此该实验将在美国 NIST 中子研究中心进行。这项工作是英国一个小组和隆德一个小组之间的合作，并将有助于奠定这些小组之间目前正在发展的持续合作的基础。申请人在溶液中聚集体的 SANS 测量方面拥有丰富的经验，这在本实验中是必需的，以便可以在实验期间当场做出影响要收集的数据的关键决策。这将确保我们最大限度地利用这些仪器上非常有限的实验时间。