DNA-Templated Synthesis of Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters

Communicating the flow of genetic information (DNA → RNA → protein) is not only a basis of biochemical education, but also is the essential foundation for understanding the complexity of biological processes. The described laboratory exercise demonstrates that the information encoded into different DNA sequences can be transformed into various silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) with unique fluorescence profiles. Analogous to the natural conversion of inert DNA into functional biological molecules, here the DNA's length and secondary structure can define the fluorescent properties of templated AgNCs. These simple and affordable experiments can be carried out in a standard teaching laboratory and the fluorescent samples can be readily visualized under UV light. This work becomes especially useful for emphasizing to a broad audience of K–12, undergraduate, and graduate students how DNA sequences can specifically encode diverse functional outputs.