DNA with luminescent lanthanoid-mediated base pairs

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Jens Müller
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 576003574

Metal-mediated base pairs allow the introduction of metal-based functionality into nucleic acids. Here, artificial ligand-based nucleobase analogues replace individual canonical nucleobases so that the resulting metal-mediated base pairs are formed by coordinative bonds to a metal ion positioned within the helix rather than by hydrogen bonding. In this project, luminescent lanthanoid-mediated base pairs will be developed and characterised, thus extending the repertoire of introduced metal-based functionality by metal-centred luminescence with the properties typical for lanthanoid complexes (narrow emission bands, long-lived excited states, large Stokes shift). For this purpose, various ligands known to form luminescent lanthanoid complexes will be chemically modified in such a way that they are suitable for use as artificial nucleobases. Investigations of the structure of the resulting DNA will provide helpful information for further optimization of the ligands.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants