Structural studies to elucidate the mechanisms of biobased nanoparticle synthesis
Abstract
Protein and peptide directed synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials offers several advantages over traditional synthesis methods. These advantages include material production under more environmentally friendly conditions, extremely fine control over nanoparticle shape and size, and the ability to functionalize the nanoparticle surface through the use of protein fusions. Two of the next major advances in the field of peptide and protein driven nanomaterial synthesis will be the ability to rationally design biomolecules for novel, highly controlled nanostructure synthesis, and the ability to engineer this capability into organisms that can then be used as nanomaterial factories. One of the biggest roadblocks to achieving these goals is the lack of understanding of how these biological molecules interface with the inorganic nanomaterials during the early stages of nanomaterial formation. We propose that the fundamental molecular mechanisms for how these peptides and proteins influence nucleation and growth can be determined through highresolutionstructural studies (protein crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy). Furthermore,increasing our understanding of which sequences can be translated into in vivo nanomaterial synthesis systems will be accomplished by developing new combinatorial screening strategies to isolate sequences that function in the context of a living cell.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810012
Entities
People
- Brent Nannenga
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Arizona State University
- United States Air Force