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SUMMARY:SENSOR SEMINAR SERIES: Aptamer-based Biosensors for Mapping Neuroc
 hemicals at the Nanoscale -  Professor Nako Nakatsuka - Laboratory of Chem
 ical Nanotechnology\, EPF Lausanne
DTSTART:20260203T120000Z
DTEND:20260203T130000Z
UID:TALK244312@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Samuel McDermott
DESCRIPTION:Advancing our fundamental understanding of brain (dys)function
  requires the development of novel nanotools capable of monitoring chemica
 l signalling in complex biological systems.(1) Detecting small molecules i
 n the brain is challenging due to low concentrations spanning orders of ma
 gnitude (picomolar to micromolar)\, limited mass and charge\, and interfer
 ence from high amounts of nonspecific molecules. Further\, neurotransmitte
 rs co-exist with structurally similar metabolites across different brain r
 egions. We tackle this challenge by integrating DNA-based recognition elem
 ents called aptamers\, into nanopipettes with ~10 nm openings.(2) Aptamers
  are systematically designed oligonucleotide receptors that exhibit highly
  specific and selective recognition of targets. We employ aptamers designe
 d to recognize small-molecule neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopa
 mine with high affinity and selectivity.(3) Upon reversible target binding
 \, aptamers undergo a rearrangement of the negatively charged backbone\, a
 nd these dynamic structural changes can be transduced as measurable change
 s in current through the nanopore. Nanoscale confinement of the sensor sur
 face results in high sensitivity while simultaneously reducing nonspecific
  binding to the sensing area for long-term recordings\, overcoming a criti
 cal bottleneck for clinical biosensors.(4) The nanoscale tip of the aptame
 r-modified nanopipettes approach the spatial resolution of synapses (~20-5
 0 nm) where neurons communicate. Extensive characterizations of the target
 -specific aptamer conformational dynamics have led to a fundamental unders
 tanding of the mechanisms of our biosensing technologies. These findings l
 ay the foundation for expanding this approach to conduct multiplexed detec
 tion of diverse neurochemicals at nanoscale resolution.
LOCATION:Room C\, West Hub\, Cambridge
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