Abstract:
Guanine rich DNA sequences give rise to self-assembled four-stranded structures, the so-called G-quadruplexes. Such structures are encountered at the end of human chromosomes (telomeres, 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine). They play a crucial role in biological processes, are targets for anticancer therapy and have a high potential for applications in the fields of molecular electronics and nanoemlectronics. They are studied within the frame of a European Action (G4-net, www.g4net.org) in which the host group participates. Within this frame, the objective of the thesis will be to study the interaction of:
•UV radiation with G-quadruplexes: characterize the dynamics of their excited states and the photochemical reactions.
•other molecules with G-quadruplexes (anthracyclines, porphyrines,…).

Depending on the candidate, the thesis work may focus on one or the other of these two aspects.The main tools of the study will be time-resolved optical spectroscopy (absorption, fluorescence) from the femtosecond to the millisecond time-scales.

Location: CEA/Saclay : 20Km south of Paris

Contact:
Dimitra Markovitsi
Francis Perrin Laboratory
CEA/Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
TEL: 33 (0)1 69 08 46 44
E-mail: dimitra.markovitsi@cea.fr
http://www-lfp.cea.fr/

Grant:
The thesis contract will cover 3 years of the full salary, from € 1766 to € 2028 per month, depending on academic degrees.

Starting date: October 1st, 2010