The fluorescent nanoantenna is a two-way radio that can both receive and transmit radio waves, and is designed by the team of Alexis Vallée-Bélisle. The receiver part of the antenna is used to sense the molecule studied via the interaction between the atoms. Credit: Caitlin Monney
Researchers at the University of de Montréal have created a device that can monitor the motion of a molecule. The device is a new method to monitor the structural change of proteins over time, and may go a long way to helping scientists better understand natural and human-designednanotechnologies.
The study's senior author said that they are currently working on setting up a start-up company to make the results available to researchers and the pharmaceutical industry.
The antenna works like a radio.
The first DNA synthesizer was invented over 40 years ago. "In recent years, chemists have realized that DNA can be used to build a variety of nanostructures and nanomachines," said the researcher, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Bioengineering and Bionanotechnology.
He said that they had created a DNA-based fluorescent nanoantenna that could help characterize the function of the proteins.
"Like a two-way radio that can both receive and transmit radio waves, the fluorescent nanoantenna receives light in one color, or wavelength, and depending on theProtein movement it senses, then transmits light back in another color, which we can detect."
The receiver part of the antenna is used to sense the structure of the molecule studied.
Scott Harroun, the first author of the study, said that one of the main advantages of using DNA is that it is easy to reprogram.
He said that the DNA-based nanoantennas can be synthesised with different lengths and flexibilities. One can attach a fluorescent molecule to the DNA and then attach a fluorescent nanoantenna to a biological machine.
"We have created a five nanometer-long antenna that produces a distinct signal when theProtein is performing its biological function."
The scientists believe that florescent nanoantennas open many exciting avenues.
Harroun said that they were able to detect the function of the alkaline phosphatase with a variety of biological molecules and drugs. This is anidase that has been implicated in many diseases.
The new method can help us understand how natural nanomachines function or malfunction, as well as help us identify promising new drugs as well as guide us to develop improved nanomachines, said Dominic Lauzon, a co-author of the study.
The scientists said that one main advance enabled by these is their ease-of-use.
"Perhaps what we are most excited by is the fact that many labs around the world, equipped with a conventional spectrofluorometer, could easily use these nanoantennas to study their favorite proteins, such as to identify new drugs or to develop new nanotechnologies," said Vallée-B
Scott G. Harroun and his team used fluorescent nanoantennas to monitor the changes in the structure of the proteins. There is a DOI of 10.1038/s41592-021-01355-5.
Nature methods are in the journal.
The world's smallest antenna was built using DNA on January 10, 2022.
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