Undergraduates in the Morrow laboratory may work on either or two different projects.  The first project involves the development of new lanthanide complexes that are dual agents for magnetic resonance and luminescence imaging in biological systems. 1  These complexes are unusual in that their imaging properties are responsive to their chemical environment.   Attachment of the complexes to DNA scaffolds and to nanoparticles is being pursued to improve contrast.  The second project involves the study of small molecule interactions with RNA and DNA including zinc macrocyclic complexes and compounds that combine dual cation/base stacking recognition motifs.2   Undergraduates may participate in any part of the research including organic/inorganic or nanoparticle synthesis, luminescence studies using a MOPO/laser system or chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) experiments.   

Responsive luminescence/ MRI CEST agents	Uridine recognition in RNA bulges

•  Ching-Hui Huang and Janet R. Morrow, “A PARACEST agent responsive to inner- and outersphere phosphate ester interactions for MRI applications”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, in press.
• Clifford S. Rossiter, Ryan A. Mathews, Imee Marie A. del Mundo and Janet R. Morrow “Cleavage of a RNA Analog Containing Uridine by a Bifunctional Dinuclear Zn(II) Catalyst”, J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2009, 103, 64-71.