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Mitch Doktycz BS: Colorado College (1974) Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
Keywords:
DNA array technology, genosensors, microarrays, microchips, analytical technology, biosensors, lab automation, DNA melting, DNA structure, RNA structure, DNA-protein interactions
Description of Research:
Mitchel Doktycz's research interests are in the general areas of analytical technology development and nucleic acid physical chemistry. Description of research: Mitchel Doktycz's research activities and interests focus on the development of analytical technologies for genome and biochemical analyses. The ongoing genome projects are providing a wealth of DNA sequence information that allows for a functional characterization of genes based on sequence analysis. Interdisciplinary approaches are advancing new technologies for rapidly collecting and assessing nucleic acid sequence information. These approaches take advantage of the speed and efficiency of either miniaturization or analytical techniques such as electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, or scanning probe microscopies. Genetic biosensors, called genosensor chips or DNA microarrays, are being developed to rapidly assess gene sequences by microscale, parallel hybridization procedures. Applications to gene expression and gene sequence analysis are under development. Automated systems are being created to manufacture and analyze these microarrays. Other biosensors, based on micromachined structures, are being created. These sensors use the same technology employed for constructing computer chips, with individual elements only tens of microns in length. Biological coatings are being applied to these sensor elements to take advantage of the high selectivity of biomolecules for particular sensing applications. In addition to analytical technology development, basic research in the general area of nucleic acid physical chemistry is pursued. This work focuses on evaluating the physical parameters that characterize nucleic acid sequences, secondary structures and structural transitions. Synthetic and naturally occurring sequences are the targets of these investigations. Optical melting and electrophoretic techniques are developed and used extensively to assess structural transitions. The tools of fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy are employed to determine longer range structural features. Additionally, enzymatic and chemical probing are used for identifying secondary structures or sites of protein or drug binding. Together, these methods allow for the physical and structural characterization of nucleic acids that will ultimately contribute to understanding the relationship between nucleotide sequence and function.
Selected Publications: