Studying chitosan-DNA complexes formation

• Grant number: 06/04635-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2006
• End date: June 30, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Marcio José Tiera
• Grantee: Isadora Pfeifer Dalla Picola
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main goal of this project is to evaluate how the molecular weight, ionic strength and pH affect the interaction between chitosan and DNA. It is well know that the electrostatic interaction is the responsible for the formation of nanoparticles used in gene therapy. The parameters as ionic strength and pH can trigger the delivering of DNA. Therefore different experimental conditions will be explored to elucidate how they can affect the interaction.