Identifier

etd-04292010-154023

Degree

Master of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering (MSBAE)

Department

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The unique properties of noble metal nanoparticles, which include tunable electronic and photonic characteristics, contribute to their potential as novel delivery vectors with enhanced drug stability, cell uptake, and photo-activated functionalities. Silver, as one of best surface-enhancing substrates available for bulk nanostructure synthesis, is a prime choice for investigations of metal nanohybrids as antisense therapy vehicles with special surface plasmon resonance (SPR) enabled functional attributes. The singular photonic properties of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) may contribute to ease of delivery confirmation and in situ photo-activation of protected cargo packed on particle surfaces. Here we show the synthesis and characterization of 40-80nm SNPs designed for enhanced antisense oligonucleotide delivery and photo-activated gene silencing. Non-active (caged) SNP-bound DNA oligonucleotides possess an internal nitrobenzyl photocleavable linker which once exposed to light, initiates disengagement of functional antisense oligonucleotides from the nanohybrid surface. We demonstrate light-triggered, spatiotemporally controlled gene silencing based on SNP-antisense conjugates, which prove to be promising alternative platforms for gene therapy, gene expression studies, and other nanomedicine applications.

Date

2010

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Monroe, William T.

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2306

Included in

Engineering Commons

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