Novel Classes of Photoresponsive DNA Aptamers

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Famulok
• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry ; Biochemistry ; Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426929456

The proposed project will attempt to select DNA aptamers for a selection of photochromes that possess exemplary photophysical properties both in ultra-violet and visible wavelengths. The photochromes chosen for this study have excellent thermal-reversionproperties so can be addressed exclusively with photonic energy. Currently, only few RNA-based aptamers are available for basic photochromic molecules and have not found further application. The advances in recent years towards the selection of selective, strong binding aptamers for small molecules and improved and novel photochromic elements suggest the time is ripe to select DNA aptamers for these selected molecules. We will use both capture SELEX and more traditional solid-support approaches in gaining our aptamers to give ourselves as much opportunity to gain good aptamers. After truncation and thorough characterisation, we will then apply them to our dsDNA nanoarchitectures to demonstrate their applicability in controlling intercomponent motion using exclusively different wavelengths of light. This will be the first time that aptamers have been employed as binding elements within DNA interlocked structures and will engender light-switchable DNA interlocked systems without the use of arguably wasteful toehold ROs composed of a number of AB nucleoside surrogates, most notably in the visible-light region. However, the DNA aptamers selected within the main body of this proposal will have a plethora of potential applications in other fields. Fields such as those of synthetic biology and optochemical genetics will be offered new avenues by combining the putative biological compatibility of DNA aptamers and the visible light wavelength-switching of modified and novel photochromic elements.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants