Synthesis and characterization of deoxyribonucleic acid-conjugated gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with thiol-modified single-stranded oligonucleotides are highly useful reagents for a variety of applications, ranging from materials science to bioanalytics. In this chapter, the preparation of citrate stabilized 15-nm Au nanoparticles is described. The nanoparticles are conjugated with 3'-thiol-modified deoxyribonucleic acid oligomers and the resulting conjugates are characterized by determining their shape, size, and surface coverage. The hybridization capabilities are quantified in a microplate assay.