DNA Conjugates and Sensors

The preparation of synthetic nucleic acids has been possible for several years, but their use as molecular tools has recently been enhanced by the addition of other groups. These include enzymes, fluorophores and small molecules. Modification to the DNA bases or backbone can also improve biological stability and increase sensitivity. Written by leaders in the field, this volume describes the preparation and application of these DNA-conjugates. Several have been used as biological sensors (aptamers, riboswitches and nanostructures). Others link reporter groups such as proteins or fluorophores to RNA or DNA for detection, single molecule studies, and increasing the sensitivity of PCR. The book will interest researchers in related areas of chemistry, biology and molecular pharmacology.
About the Author: Keith Fox receive his first degree in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University of Cambridge in 1977, where he also completed his PhD in the Department of Pharmacology. He stayed in Cambridge for post-doctoral research. In 1987 he moved to a lectureship at Southampton and where he was also a Lister Institute Research Fellow from 1989-1994. He was promoted to a Chair in Biochemistry in 2000. His research interests centre on DNA recognition by small molecules, oligonucleotides and proteins and he has developed the footprinting technique as a powerful tool for measuring the specificity, stability and kinetics of ligand-DNA interactions. Tom Brown received his first degree and PhD in Chemistry at Bradford University. He moved to Nottingham University, then to Oxford and Cambridge University to carry out postdoctoral research. In 1985 he was appointed to a lectureship in Biological Chemistry at Edinburgh University where he was promoted to Reader then Professor of Nucleic Acids Chemistry. He moved to a Chair in Chemical Biology at Southampton University in 1995. His research interests centre on nucleic acids chemistry, structure, DNA sequence recognition and the applications in biology and medicine. He is co-founder of three Biotech companies. Awards include the Royal Society of Edinburgh MakDougall-Brisbane prize for research, the Royal Society of Edinburgh Caledonian Research Fellowship, the Royal Society Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship, the Royal Society of Chemistry Josef Loschmidt prize, the Royal Society of Chemistry award for nucleic acids chemistry and the Royal Society of Chemistry prize for interdisciplinary research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.