Polyvalent Nanoparticle-oligonudleotide conjugates: Synthesis, Properties, and Biodiagnostic/Therapeutic Applications

Polyvalent nanoparticle-DNA conjugates exhibit a variety of unique features such as programmable assembly and disassembly, sharp melting transitons, intense optical properties, high stability, enhanced binding properties, and easy fabrication of the surface nature by chemical and physical modification. The unique properties of nanoparticle-DNA conjugates enable one to build up a number of versatile assay schemes for the detection of various targets. In addition, nanoparticle-RNA conjugates also demonstrate great promise of therapeutic applications in the context of RNA interference when combined with polymeric materials. In this presentation, representative examples of each aspect of nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugates will be discussed.