| Studying the interactions of biomolecules, more specifically the interactions of DNA and drugs with man-made nanostructures involve a multi-faceted approach focused on the electrical, optical and environmental interactions of these complexes. This research work has two major thrust areas; one that includes the interaction of DNA with nanoparticles for the development of sensors and the other includes using semiconductor nanoparticles as fluorescent tags for the tracking of antineoplastic drugs in vivo in xenografted tumor models.;DNA, which is the carrier of genetic information, interacts not just chemically with other bio-molecules but electronic or ionic transport processes are important as well. MicroRaman spectroscopy is used as a tool to study the interactions of nanoparticles, in particular titanium dioxide in order to understand the charge transportation in DNA as well as the cleaving of DNA at desired location, which could have potential applications in cancer therapy. The transitions of the DNA between the B- and Z- forms were also studied and nanoparticle-based probes were developed based on this phenomenon.;The dose-limiting side effects of the chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel has prevented systemic chemotherapy from achieving complete potency. The use of phospholipid micelles as drug carriers helps not only overcome the solubility issues of paclitaxel, but also allows targeted delivery due to the presence of site-specific peptides on their surfaces. The efficacy of such a drug delivery system is evaluated in vivo in nude mice as well as in vitro in breast cancer cells. |
