Lipid Bilayer Based Binding Surfaces for Nano-Structures made from Nucleic Acids

Nano-structures assembled from nucleic acids are innovative new materials being studied for the use in the nanotechnology industry. These structures typically self-assemble on near-atomically flat solid surfaces, with affinity toward nucleic acids; the nucleic acids attached to such surfaces usually have very little or no freedom to change their spatial organization. Throughout the self-assembly process defects occur and accumulate causing early termination of nano-structure assemblage, consequently limiting their size and functionality. By creating semi-fluid, near-atomically flat surfaces capable of binding nucleic acid based nano-structures; it is feasible to create assembling conditions where nucleic acid binding sites can be kept mobile for the extent of the assembly process, thus, permitting the rearrangement and reformation of nano-structures on the surface. In our research project, we are attempting to create lipid bilayer surfaces with positively charged head groups to facilitate the binding and assembling of RNA based nano-structures. By using lipids with different transition temperatures, we hope to be able to manipulate the fluidity of the surfaces we make. We will also use lipids with different polar head chemistries (characteristics) to optimize binding and retention of nucleic acids to these surfaces.