The Polyvalent Gold Nanoparticle Conjugate Material Synthesis, Biodiagnostics, and Intracellular Gene Regulations

Over the past decade we have developed methods for modifying nanoparticles with oligonucleotides and explored how they can be used as designer constructs for preparing highly ordered, highly functional materials. The unusual properties of these materials make them particularly useful in biodiagnostics and intracellular gene regulation. This seminar will focus on the rules that govern the use of these conjugates, on sequence specific crystallization and protein detection, and on "antisense" therapy. Specifically we will introduce the concept of the "antisense particle" and similarly functionalized siRNA particles having unique properties that make them very well-suited for gene regulation. The particles are highly resistant to nuclease digestion, have tailorable binding constants for target mRNA, and exhibit high entry efficiency into multiple cell types. By tailoring the chemistry on the nanoparticle surface and controlling the particles' binding strength to complementary target sequences, we can control the degree of protein expression.

Chad Mirkin is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Institute of Medicine. He is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a recent winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize.

	Graphics provided by the speaker.

Anyone outside NIST wishing to attend must be sponsored by a NIST employee and receive a visitor badge.

For more information, contact Kum Ham at 301-975-4203.

Colloquia are videotaped and available in the NIST Research Library.

Chad Mirkin, Director
International Institute for Nanotechnology Northwestern University