Objective Quantum Dots (QDs) are a relative new semiconductor nanoparticles made from Cd/Se or Cd/Te with a shell of ZnS that have very excellent spectroscopic properties: broad absorption spectra, low photobleaching levels, narrow and symmetric emission bands, high quantum yields and large stoke shifts, which make them very attractive for fluorescence applications and, principally, for research studies in the biomedical field. The use of nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo has come in parallel with the development of water soluble QDs. However, together with the improvement in the solubility properties, there is a nascent necessity of developing efficient chemoselective methods of bioconjugation. This purpose is where is addressed this proposal to. We are going to try to use chemoselective ligations to attach peptides and proteins to QDs. In principle, we are interested in oxime, hydrazone reactions and [3+2] azide-alkyne cycloadditions, because it´s known that are very selective and happen with efficient rates at low µM concentrations (~10 µM) forming thermodynamically and kinetically stable products. Moreover, these ligation reactions have been used with success in peptide-peptide and peptide-dye conjugations. Once we have developed the conjugation methodology, we have in mind to apply it to the study of protein-nucleic acids and protein-protein interactions through the well-known FRET technique (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer). We think that attaching a low number of proteins per quantum dot (around 5-10 protein molecules/QD) we can get high amplifications in the FRET signal, which will allow us to measure thermodynamic parameters like binding constants. To evaluate the method, we´ll study the system formed by GCN4 (a natural Transcription Factor) and its CRE recognition site (5´-…ATGACGTCAT…-3´), principally because there is a high literature data that help us to validate the approach. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsproteomicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesthermodynamicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopyabsorption spectroscopynatural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivityengineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials Keywords Health sciences Technological sciences chemical biology nanotechnology nucleic acids peptides protein-DNA interactions proteins quantum dots Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) PEOPLE-2007-4-1.IOF - Marie Curie Action: "International Outgoing Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IOF - International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) Coordinator UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA EU contribution € 225 998,97 Address COLEXIO DE SAN XEROME PRAZA DO OBRADOIRO S/N 15782 Santiago De Compostela Spain See on map Region Noroeste Galicia A Coruña Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Fernando Sedano Arnaez (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data