ESR 14: Irene Ponzo

Analysis of G-quadruplexes and DNA-binding proteins on a chip

LightDyNAmics Research

Irene Ponzo works at Dynamic Biosensors GmbH on a research project focused on the production of DNA G-quadruplexes chips. She studies the behaviour and stability of G-quadruplexes on chip, to characterize interactions between analytes and G-quadruplexes. With the switchSENSE® technology she aims at determining the binding affinity and kinetics of proteins to new DNA lesions, and to study DNA-protein interaction for applications in drug design.

Scientific Background

Irene Ponzo graduated in March 2018 in MSc Biotechnology at University of Rome Tor Vergata, with a Master thesis project about the study and characterization of synthetic DNA-based nanodevices controlled by redox inputs, carried out in the Laboratory of Biosensors and Nanomachines headed by Prof. Francesco Ricci. Under the supervision of Dr. Alessandro Porchetta, she has been a Visiting Research Student in the DNA Nanomaterials Group headed by Prof. Hanadi Sleiman at McGill University in Montreal (Canada), from June to August 2018, where she worked on pH-responsive DNA nanocubes.

Scientific Publications

Irene Ponzo (ESR14), Friederike M. Möller, Herwin Daub, Nena Matscheko (2019) A DNA-Based Biosensor Assay for the Kinetic Characterization of Ion-Dependent Aptamer Folding and Protein Binding. Molecules