Nanoparticles and DNA probes based on DNA-fluorophore conjugates

Wormlike lipid/DNA micelles in a non-polar solvent

The phase behavior of DOPE/DOTAP-DNA complexes in phase-separated oil(dodecane)/water mixtures was explored using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS). Inverse micelles of DNA with cationic-lipid coating were found in the oil phase. Varying the ratio between cationic and neutral lipids a transition from wormlike to spherical structures is observed for both long ( approximately 75000bp) and short (30-1246bp) DNA. In contrast to lipid/DNA complexes in the water phase, there is no indication of condensed liquid-crystalline structures in the non-polar phase. In fact, FCS measurements on short DNA oligomers complexed with cationic lipid in alkane give clear evidence for monomeric inverse micelles of DNA. Dilution series revealed a critical lower concentration of lipids and DNA for observing lipid/DNA micelles.

Novel Heptamethine Cyanine Dyes with Large Stokes’ Shift for Biological Applications in the Near Infrared

A series of novel functionalized, water-soluble, pH-unsensitive, highly photostable heptamethine cyanine dyes (HCDs) has been synthesized. The aim of the synthesis was to obtain novel effective probes for fluorescence detection in the near infrared. Synthesis and characterization of a special HCD with large Stokes' shift (>100 nm), bioconjugation to IgG and effect of pH upon the new structure are presented.