Hamburg Photon Science Colloquium | Exciting DNA with ruthenium complexes

by Christine Cardin (Chemistry Department, University of Reading, UK)

Friday 12 May 2017, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Berlin

CFEL, Bldg. 99 (DESY Hamburg)

The ruthenium 'light-switch' complexes fluoresce when bound to DNA but not in water, and can detect DNA in living cells. Related complexes can photooxidise DNA, providing an insight into DNA damage mechanisms. This talk explores how the combination of X-ray crystallography and ultrafast spectroscopy can define the basis of these mechanisms. Some progress has also been made in the design of new complexes which can target particular structural features.