Plavec group
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The laboratory of Janez Plavec is part of the Slovenian NMR Centre at National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Our current research interests are in the studies of structure and conformational equilibria of oligonucleotides and nucleic acid polymers that are determined by cation, solution and stereochemical factors. We are especially interested in the interactions of metal ions with nucleic acids and the development of new techniques for the localisation of cation binding sites in the solution state. Studies of cation binding properties of a variety of non-B-form DNA secondary structures, including those which contain guanine-quartets are particularly interesting from the perspective of cation binding because of the relatively strong coordiation of monovalent ions.

Some of our efforts are directed towards studies on structural preorganization of modified oligonucleotides and its thermodynamic consequences in view of their use as therapeuticaly antisense agents. Conformational preorganization can be explained by the relative strentghs of anomeric, gauche and other stereoelectronic effects.

Our primary tool of investigation is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.