SEMPER – Synthetically Engineered EMissive Peptide nucleic acids (PNA) for Medical Diagnostics based on Optical and Surface-Enhanced Raman Techniques

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SEMPER – Synthetically Engineered EMissive Peptide nucleic acids (PNA) for Medical Diagnostics based on Optical and Surface-Enhanced Raman Techniques

Duration: From 16 Oct 2023 – 15 Oct 2025 (2 years)

Funding Institution: Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR) – PRIN 2022 – 20227ZXT4Z

Principal Investigator: Andrea Fin (University of Torino)

Contact person in IPCF: A. Foti (Vice PI)

Other research units (contact person): University of Torino (Andrea Fin); Politecnico di Torino (Fabrizio Giorgis)

Settori ERC: PE5_17 Organic chemistry; PE3_10 Nanophysics, e.g. nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, nanomagnetism, nanoelectromechanics; LS7_2 Medical technologies and tools (including genetic tools and biomarkers) for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases

Keywords: Peptide Nucleic Acids; Nanophotonics; Surface enhanced Raman scattering and optical tweezing; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Organic-inorganic hybrids; miRNA cancer biomarker.

The project aims to develop innovative detection techniques for the quantification of miRNA at low concentration (fM) based on both on fluorescence and SERS spectroscopy of intrinsically emissive peptide nucleic acids (PNA) and PNA tagged with naphthalenediimides (NDI), which bind specifically to miRNA sequences. The detection strategy will be implemented with optical manipulation techniques (optical tweezers), also within microfluidic circuits.

Other IPCF people involved in the research activities: M. G. Donato, P. G. Gucciardi, R. Zribi