Bifunctional Metal Complexes as Artificial Nucleases

Bifunctional Metal Complexes as Artificial Nucleases. This study will develop new compounds with designed and molecularly engineered shapes which bind either one or two metal ions and act as artificial nucleases (i.e. catalyse the cleavage of DNA). It will produce and examine the properties and reactions of molecules which provide two linked or adjacent DNA interaction sites and which influence and direct biological activity through their shape, size and metal binding groups. Investigations will be pursued of the reactivity of copper, zinc and cobalt complexes of these molecules as artificial nucleases with model systems and for site-specific RNA and DNA cleavage of potential pharmaceutical interest.