FURI | Spring 2026

Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Scaffold for Improved Nanosensor Stability

One of the major hurdles for DNA scaffold-based nanosensor application in clinical environments is in vivo stability. DNA is useful as a scaffold due to its ease of chemical synthesis and dynamic design capabilities; however, DNA is limited by its low stability in the presence of exonucleases. This research project proposes a new scaffold material that replaces typical DNA to reduce degradation. A Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino (PMO) scaffold’s non-ionic backbone and six-membered morpholine ring will prevent degradation, increasing stability for extended function as molecular sensor and contrast agent for monitoring neurotransmitters relevant to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.