1) DNA Nanotechnology
2) Atomic Force Microscopy and related techniques
3) Biosensors
1) DNA Nanotechnology: using DNA and nucleic acids as
building material for nanostructures by design. Static or dynamic
bottom-up self-assemblying nanostructures can be obtained and are
characterized with biochemical, spectroscopic, microscopic and
structural biology techniques.
2) Atomic Force Microscopy: the development and use of
atomic force microscopy and related techniques for studying
biological macromolecules and their interaction with materials. It
includes the development of the instrumentation, of the protocols,
and fo data processing. Some of the main themes of research are the
characerization of nucleic acids (natural or synthetic structures)
and of proteins, also using the newly developed 'single molecule
force spectroscopy' which allow us to study the mechanochemical
behavior of molecules.
3) Biosensors. Development of strategies towarrds the
read-out and amplification of signals derived from molecular
recognition between nucleic acids or protein markers for diagnostic
or analytical applications. We are developing the sensitive
interfaces, the electronic methods for read-out, and strategies for
signal amplification through nanotechnology and biochemistry,
within a collaboration with the Department of Electronics at the
University of Bologna.
