Designed DNA Nano-switches as Sensitive Electrochemical Biosensors
Dr. Hua-Zhong "Hogan" Yu
Department of Chemistry
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia
Monday, December 5, 2022
11 a.m.
Hybrid: C2-361 (Reading Room) and MS Teams (Please email Victoria Van Cappellen at vvancapp@uwaterloo.ca for access.)
Abstract: Functional nucleic acid receptors (aptamers) have emerged as effective and robust recognition elements for state-of-the-art biosensors. Analytical readouts from aptamer-based biosensors (whether optical, electrochemical, or otherwise) derive primarily from global-scale conformational changes induced in the aptamer domain by analyte binding. Herein, we describe a unique biosensor design principle that represents a distinct alternative to this paradigm; particularly we demonstrate the ready applicability of this design principle in the de novo creation of electrochemical sensors for a clinical analyte of current interest. The function of the class of biosensors we describe, termed “DNA nano-switches”, is designed to depend on the integrity of duplex DNA-mediated charge transfer between an electrode and a redox label. Our recent selection of DNAzymes for the Nobel winning “click” reaction” will be also briefly presented.
- Tang, Y.; Ge, B.; Sen, D.; Yu, H.-Z. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2014, 43, 518–529 (Tutorial Review).
- Ma, F.; Qi, L.; Einarson, O.; Sen, D.; Yu, H.-Z. Anal. Chem. 2019, 91, 8244−8251.
- Liu, K.; Lat, P. K.; Yu, H.-Z.; Sen, D. Nucleic Acid Res. 2000, 48, 7356–7370.
Hua-Zhong "Hogan" Yu received his BSc from Shandong University (Ji’nan) in 1991, and PhD from Peking University (Beijing) in 1997. He then went to California Institute of Technology (Pasadena) working with Ahmed Zewail (1999 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry) and Fred Anson as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Yu joined Simon Fraser University as an Assistant Professor in 2001 after short stays at National Research Council Canada (Ottawa, 1999-2000) and Acadia University (Wolfville, NS, 2000-2001). At SFU, Dr. Yu was granted early promotion to Full Professor in 2009, and jointly appointed with 4D Labs and the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry since 2007. Dr. Yu’s research spans a broad range of topics in physical, analytical, and materials chemistry. Dr. Yu has published more than 150 research papers in refereed journals (mostly ACS and Wiley-VCH), holds 14 National/International patents, and given over 200 invited lectures worldwide. Dr. Yu has won several major awards, including the 2004 Fred Beamish Award of the Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC), the W. Lash Miller Award of the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Canadian Section in 2011, the Tajima Prize of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) in 2012, and the CSC W.A.E. McBryde Medal in 2015. Dr. Yu is currently an associate editor for Analyst, the flagship journal for analytical sciences published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).
