Nano-and Micro-Scale Patterning of Virus Assembled Enzymatic Cascades for Bio-Energy Harvesting
Abstract
There is enormous potential in the development of in vitro enzyme catalytic systems for the production of chemicals, materials and energy that could not otherwise be produced using existing technologies. However, to realize this potential new approaches for the development and deployment of biocatalysts are needed. Specific challenges in this area include the need for 1) enhanced portfolios of ready-to-use enzymes, 2) tunable multi-enzyme cascades, 3) platforms for the spatial organization of enzymes, and 4) scalable device interface systems to control and monitor enzyme activities. Efforts in this proposal will address challenge areas involving the spatial organization of biocatalysts within controllable microsystems. Our goals are to develop the knowledge needed to modulate and optimize the spatial organization of enzyme cascade activities at the interface between biology and electronic devices. To address these challenges our team has developed TMV- based nano-scaffolds for the molecular patterning of enzymes as well as microfluidic systems for the controlled assembly of these scaffolds onto electrode surfaces. Specific efforts will 1) investigate TMV- VLP structure and assembly modifications required to promote nanoscale enzyme patterning on the VLP nanorod surface, 2) develop and characterize systems to efficiently interface VLP-patterned biofuel enzymes onto electrode surfaces, and 3)examine microfluidic systems for the controlled microscale compartmentalization of VLP-patterned enzymes for enhanced bioenergy generation. When combined, results from these studies will provide fundamental information on the effects of enzyme cascade patterning and electrode interfacing to enhance in vitro biofuel cell activity. It is also anticipate that the information and systems developed in this study will be broadly applicable to an array of enzymatic cascades, providing a universal platform for testing and optimizing portfolios of biocatalyst.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1186968
Entities
People
- James N Culver
Organizations
- University of Maryland