Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/12/2020
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

TheDepartment of Chemistry & Chemical Biology invites you to attend Prof.Jessica Rouge’s (University of Connecticut) lecture as part of its Seminar series – held online this year.Prof. Rouge is an expert in nucleic acid-based nanotechnology and drugdelivery. All are welcome to attend! 

When: Thursday December 3 at 1:30 pm – 50 min seminar followed by Q & A. 

Howto attend: Please  contact sprucel@mcmaster.ca for the Zoom link. 

Title: “Using enzymes to build, break and readhybrid DNA nanomaterials: from nanoscale self-assembly to intracellular generegulation”. 

Abstract: Biology has evolvedthe quintessential nanoscale assembly of nucleic acids, lipids and proteins inthe form of a virus. Viruses are built from self-assembled peptide subunitssurrounding charged nucleic acids, packaged within a lipid-like envelope. Viralcoat proteins are enzymatically degraded, in a location-specific manner,releasing contents into the surrounding environment. Our lab seeks to mimic notonly the assembly, but the programmed disassembly, of biomolecule-basednanomaterials through a combination of chemical crosslinking strategies andenzymatic assembly steps. Using a hybrid DNA surfactant and a peptide-basedself-assembly method, we have built a series of crosslinked micelle systemsthat breakdown in response to the presence of various stimuli, including pH andenzymes. The nanocapsule displays highly specific responses in the presence ofclosely related proteases and can be modified with inorganic nanoparticles formonitoring its stability using electron microscopy. Integrating naturalbiochemical ques into the assembly and degradation pathways of nanomaterialsbrings us one step closer to designing precision biomaterials, paving the roadfor greater accuracy in applications ranging from gene delivery to biosensing.