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ERIC Number: EJ1253676
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
DNA Nanotechnology in the Undergraduate Laboratory: Analysis of Molecular Topology Using DNA Nanoswitches
Punnoose, Jibin Abraham; Halvorsen, Ken; Chandrasekaran, Arun Richard
Journal of Chemical Education, v97 n5 p1448-1453 May 2020
There is a disconnect between the cutting-edge research done in academic laboratories, such as nanotechnology, and what is taught in undergraduate laboratories. In the current undergraduate curriculum, very few students get a chance to do hands-on experiments in nanotechnology-related fields, most of which are through selective undergraduate research programs. In most cases, complicated synthesis procedures, expensive reagents, and the requirement for specific instrumentation prevent broad adaptation of nanotechnology-based experiments to laboratory courses. DNA, being a nanoscale molecule, has recently been used in bottom-up nanotechnology with applications in sensing, nanorobotics, and computing. In this article, we propose a simple experiment involving the synthesis of a DNA nanoswitch that can change its shape from a linear "off" state to a looped "on" state in the presence of a target DNA molecule. The experiment also demonstrates the programmable topology of the looped state of the nanoswitch and its effect on gel migration. The experiment is easy to adapt in an undergraduate laboratory, requires only agarose gel electrophoresis, has a minimal setup cost for materials, and can be completed in a 3 hour time frame.
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A