Towards full control of bio-molecules with electromagnetic radiation
Abstract
Non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation can in-principle fully control bio-molecules, lead-ing to potential future safe therapies. However, this requires several conditions to be satis-fied. First, the radiation must be very selective in targeting the specific biomolecules in spite of the nonlinearities of the interactions. Second, the range of used frequencies of the EM radiation must lie in the transparency windows of the biological system. Third, one must overcome the evolutionary spectral similarity problem, which makes spectral response very similar to a variety of unrelated bio species. In an earlier study [1], we have demonstrated that the spectral resolution of the bio-molecule interaction with the long wavelength EM can remain very high, even at the bio-molecule dissociation threshold. Even though our simulations considered a specific Pey-rard-Bishop-Dauxois model of a DNA molecule, our calculations based on the fold catas-trophe universality class of Thom’s catastrophe theory shows, that the results are valid for a variety of bio species. This opens-up the possibility of resolving the first, spectral selec-tivity problem. In this work we study the possibility of addressing the remaining two problems with application of piezoelectric nanoparticles. These are distributed throughout the bio system and are activated by ultrasound. Then, they become localized point-dipole like electromag-netic wave sources which dramatically enhances both the spectral and the spatial resolu-tions. Since these nanoparticles can be bio-functionalized to attach/enter a desired target bio-specie, this could help with the third similarity problem. Finally, since the initial excita-tion of the piezo-nanoparticles is with ultrasound, the second problem is also resolved, since ultrasound waves penetrate well biosystems in a wide frequency range. We have be-gun a strong simulation effort in this study, and preliminary results will be shown.
Kris Kempa
Scientific Committee Member
