Fangwei Shao

Upconverting Luminescent Nanomaterials: Application to In Vivo Bioimaging

In this report, the development of multi-channel anti-Stokes luminescent Y2O3 nanoparticles for application to in vivo upconversion imaging is detailed.

Charge migration along the DNA duplex: Hole versus electron transport

Cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes tethered to 18-mer oligonucleotides through a functionalized dipyridophenazine ligand have been used to study the distance dependence profile of hole and electron transport along DNA. These DNA assemblies allow a direct comparison of hole and electron transport with a single donor coupled into the base stack. Interestingly, both processes, monitored with modified bases as hole or electron kinetic traps incorporated in the strands, appear to have similarly shallow dependences in their reactions with distance. As with hole transport, perturbations to the base stack also attenuate electron transport.

Transillumination fluorescence imaging in mice using biocompatible upconverting nanoparticles

We report on a systematic study of upconverting fluorescence signal generation within turbid phantoms and real tissues. An accurate three-point Greens function, describing the forward model of photon propagation, is established and experimentally validated. We further demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, autofluorescence-free transillumination imaging of mice that have received biocompatible upconverting nanoparticles. The method holds great promise for artifact-free whole-body visualization of optical molecular probes.

Long-range oxidative damage to cytosines in duplex DNA

Charge transport (CT) through DNA has been found to occur over long molecular distances in a reaction that is sensitive to intervening structure. The process has been described mechanistically as involving diffusive charge-hopping among low-energy guanine sites. Using a kinetically fast electron hole trap, N4-cyclopropylcytosine (CPC), here we show that hole migration must involve also the higher-energy pyrimidine bases. In DNA assemblies containing either [Rh(phi)2(bpy′)]3+ or an anthraquinone derivative, two highenergy photooxidants, appreciable oxidative damage at a distant CPC is observed. The damage yield is modulated by lower-energy guanine sites on the same or complementary strand. Significantly, the efficiency in trapping at CPC is equivalent to that at N2-cyclopropylguanosine (CPG). Indeed, even when CPG and CPC are incorporated as neighboring bases on the same strand, their efficiency of photodecomposition is comparable. Thus, CT is not simply a function of the relative energies of the isolated bases but instead may require orbital mixing among the bases. We propose that charge migration through DNA involves occupation of all of the DNA bases with radical delocalization within transient structure-dependent domains. These delocalized domains may form and break up transiently, facilitating and limiting CT. This dynamic delocalized model for DNA CT accounts for the sensitivity of the process to sequence-dependent DNA structure and provides a basis to reconcile and exploit DNA CT chemistry and physics.

Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Nanosheets: Preparation and Application in Highly Sensitive and Selective DNA Detection

The ability to prepare ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic framework (COF) nanosheets (NSs) in high yield is of great importance for the further exploration of their unique properties and potential applications. Herein, by elaborately designing and choosing two flexible molecules with C3v molecular symmetry as building units, a novel imine-linked COF, namely, TPA-COF, with a hexagonal layered structure and sheet-like morphology, is synthesized. Since the flexible building units are integrated into the COF skeletons, the interlayer stacking becomes weak, resulting in the easy exfoliation of TPA-COF into ultrathin 2D NSs. Impressively, for the first time, the detailed structural information, i.e., the pore channels and individual building units in the NSs, is clearly visualized by using the recently developed low-dose imaging technique of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a proof-of-concept application, the obtained ultrathin COF NSs are used as a novel fluorescence sensing platform for the highly sensitive and selective detection of DNA.

A Pt(II)-Dip complex stabilizes parallel c-myc G-quadruplex †

A new G-quadruplex (GQ) stabilizer, [Pt(Dip)2](PF6)2 (Dip: 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline), is prepared by the microwave irradiation method. The complex can highly stabilize G-quadruplex, but has negligible interactions with duplex DNA. Aromatic anchors on the polypyridyl ligands bestow the stabilizer with a high binding preference towards parallel GQ.

Back-electron transfer suppresses the periodic length dependence of DNA-mediated charge transport across adenine tracts.

DNA-mediated charge transport (CT) is exquisitely sensitive to the integrity of the bridging pi-stack and is characterized by a shallow distance dependence. These properties are obscured by poor coupling between the donor/acceptor pair and the DNA bridge, or by convolution with other processes. Previously, we found a surprising periodic length dependence for the rate of DNA-mediated CT across adenine tracts monitored by 2-aminopurine fluorescence. Here we report a similar periodicity by monitoring N 2-cyclopropylguanosine decomposition by rhodium and anthraquinone photooxidants. Furthermore, we find that this periodicity is attenuated by consequent back-electron transfer (BET), as observed by direct comparison between sequences that allow and suppress BET. Thus, the periodicity can be controlled by engineering the extent of BET across the bridge. The periodic length dependence is not consistent with a periodicity predicted by molecular wire theory but is consistent with a model where multiples of four to five base pairs form an ideal CT-active length of a bridging adenine domain.

Gold nanotip array for ultrasensitive electrochemical sensing and spectroscopic monitoring.

A gold nanotip array platform with a combination of ultrasensitive electrochemical sensing and spectroscopic monitoring capability is reported. Adenosine triphosphate is detected down to 1 pM according to the impedance changes in response to aptamer-specific binding. Furthermore, the local molecular information can be monitored at the individual plasmonic nanotips, and hence provide the capability for a better understanding of complex biological processes.

Magnetic Fields Facilitate DNA-Mediated Charge Transport

Exaggerated radical-induced DNA damage under magnetic fields is of great concern to medical biosafety and biomolecular electronic devices. In this report, the effects of an external magnetic field (MF) on DNA electronic conductivity were investigated by studying the efficiencies of photoinduced DNA-mediated charge transport (CT) via guanine damage. Under a static MF of 300 mT, positive enhancements in the decomposition of 8-cyclopropyldeoxyguanosine ((8CP)G) were observed at both the proximal and distal guanine doublets, indicating a more efficient propagation of radical cations and higher electronic conductivity of duplex DNA. MF-assisted CT has shown sensitivity to magnetic field strength, duplex structures, and the integrity of base pair stacking. Spin evolution of charge injection and the alignment of base pairs to the CT-active conformation during radical propagation were proposed to be the two major factors that MF contributes to facilitate DNA-mediated CT. Herein, MF-assisted CT may offer a new avenue for designing DNA-based electronic devices and unraveling MF effects on redox and radical relevant biological processes.

Programmable DNA-Mediated Multitasking Processor

Because of DNA appealing features as perfect material, including minuscule size, defined structural repeat and rigidity, programmable DNA-mediated processing is a promising computing paradigm, which employs DNAs as information storing and processing substrates to tackle the computational problems. The massive parallelism of DNA hybridization exhibits transcendent potential to improve multitasking capabilities and yield a tremendous speed-up over the conventional electronic processors with stepwise signal cascade. As an example of multitasking capability, we present an in vitro programmable DNA-mediated optimal route planning processor as a functional unit embedded in contemporary navigation systems. The novel programmable DNA-mediated processor has several advantages over the existing silicon-mediated methods, such as conducting massive data storage and simultaneous processing via much fewer materials than conventional silicon devices.