DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract): Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) have a number of features that suggest they would be ideal probes for purifying mRNA. In this revised format we have demonstrated the use of phosphono PNAs (pPNAs) in an RNA isolation procedure that improves the… More

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract): In this application we will discuss the rationale for the development of a novel method for chemically tagging a synthetic oligonucleotide to the 5'-end of full-length mRNAs using the cap structure (7-methyl guanosine triphosphate,… More

In this proposal we discuss the development of a technique to amplify the signal generated when a labeled chimeric oligonucleotide hybridizes to it target sequence. Clearly there is a huge need for such a technique given the amount of variability that occurs during triditional amplification… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall experimental approach of this proposal is targeted to design an innovative format for arraying proteins. Instead of using the common glass slide or nitrocellulose membrane to spot proteins onto, we proposed to use a silica… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): DNA damages are key events during carcinogenesis. Deficiencies in repairing damaged DNA represent a poor prognosis during tumorigenesis and/or cancer treatment. Besides monitoring DNA damage formation, it would be helpful to monitor DNA repair protein activity.… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this proposal is to develop a series of fluorogenic imaging molecules, which can be easily delivered into viable cells and monitor cellular functions. The FIMs are composed of a peptide backbone containing a target site for a kinase or a protease. Some… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal focuses on the development of multi-well ELISA-like assays to quantify DNA binding activity of two breast cancer prognosis markers, Sp1 and ER, with much more sensitivity and high throughput than standard DNA gel shift techniques. Such an approach… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently, there exist a number of methods for the study of transcription factors and gene-promoter activity. These include reporter gene assays, gel shift assays, and expression-profiling methods such as microarray analysis and SAGE. These methods are well… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this proposal is the development of novel methods for the study of the Class II Nuclear Receptors Thyroid hormone receptor (TR), Retinoic Acid Receptor (RAR), and Vitamin D3 Receptor (VDR). Like other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily,… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The small GTP binding protein superfamily (consisting of small, monomeric GTP hydrolyzing proteins or GTPases) regulates diverse cellular processes including gene expression, cellular proliferation, cytoskeletal reorganization, vesicle trafficking, and… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Depression is the leading cause of disability among individuals between the ages of 15-44, affecting approximately 21 million Americans and is the leading cause of suicide. Current diagnostic tools available for medical professionals are limited to… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a high-throughput, multi-analyte chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) system. ChIP is a widely used technique among life science and biomedical researchers seeking map the specific DNA sequences that are bound by a… More