Professor Maria DeRosa’s research examines a type of nucleic acid called ‘aptamers’ that can bind tightly to a specific molecule.  ‘Aptamers’ come from the greek ‘aptus’ meaning to fit.  She is using chemistry tools to understand how these pieces of DNA or RNA can fold into certain shapes that make pockets for these targets. This information can then be used to design useful devices out of these nucleic acids, like biosensors or smart therapeutics …

Given increasing concerns about infectious diseases and environmental contaminants, there is an urgent need to develop these kinds of innovative sensing tools for the rapid and accurate detection of these substances. For example, faster and more accurate biosensors could have an impact on medicine by allowing for earlier disease diagnosis and therapy. More sensitive biosensors could also help us protect our food and water supply by detecting contaminants, even when they are at very low levels.

After finishing her undergraduate work in chemistry at Carleton University, Dr. DeRosa was awarded the University’s most prestigious medal-the Governor General’s Silver Medal.  She pursued her graduate studies at Carleton under the guidance of Prof. Robert Crutchley with whom she published several papers in top journals including the Journal of the American Chemical Society. In 1993, upon successful completion of her Ph.D., she was presented with a Senate Medal. She has received several scholarships including an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship that allowed her to do research at the California Institute of Technology from 2004-2005 with Prof. Jackie Barton, a world-leader in DNA sensor research.  Her research during this time was published in the top journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. In 2005, she joined the Chemistry Department at Carleton as an Assistant Professor.  She was awarded the John Charles Polanyi Prize, a prize for promising new researchers, in 2006, and has also been a CFI Leaders Opportunity grant recipient.

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Visit the DeRosa Lab

Faculty News – Maria DeRosa

Photo credit: Ian Murchison