We have developed a new molecular beacon for DNA hybridization studies at an interface. Molecular beacons are a new class of oligonucleotides that can report the presence of specific nucleic acids.
Molecular beacons emit an intense fluorescent signal only when hybridized to their target molecules.
It can be immobilized onto a silica surface through biotin-avidin binding. The newly designed molecular beacons are intended for the development of ultrasensitive DNA sensors and for DNA molecular interaction studies at an interface. It is expected that novel protein recognition mechanism will be developed for real time protein monitoring in living cells. Using molecular beacons as a sensitive fluorescence assay for enzymatic cleavage of single-stranded DNA, Jeffery J. Li, Ron Geyer and Weihong Tan, Nucleic Acids Research , 2000. Using molecular beacons to probe the interactions between lactic dehydrogenase and single strand DNA, Xiaohong Fang, Jeffery Li and Weihong Tan, Analytical Chemistry , 2000.