Projects

I am interested in understanding the mechanism of radiation damage to genetic materials caused by low energy electrons.

Electron attachment - induced strand breaks in DNA

Low electron attachment to DNA can induce sugar-phosphate and sugar-nucleobase strand breaks in DNA. We intend to understand the role of dipole-bound anionic state in the process with model systems of genetic materials. We also plan to probe the role of solvent in electron attachmetn to genetic material.

Low energy electron attachment to non-Watson-Crick base pairs

Non-Watson-Crick base pairs constitute over 40% of the base-pairing interactions in RNA. They also play an important role in the interaction of RNAs with protein, metal cations, etc. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the dissociative electron attachment to no-Watson-Crick base pairs as well. In this project, we plan to understand the process in wobble base pairs.

Electron attachment to nucleobase in diethylene glycol.

DNA exists in an aqueous environment in the nucleus. Therefore, it is necessary to perform simulations in the presence of explicit solvation. However, due to the presence of biomolecules, salts, etc., the dielectric constant of the cellular environment is different from that of water, but closer to that of diethylene glycol. We intend to study the electron attachment to uracil nucleobase in diethylene glycol solution.