Bio-Organic Nanotechnology: Using Proteins and Synthetic Polymers for Nanoscale Devices

摘要

While the ability of proteins to self-assemble makes them powerful tool in nanotechnology, in biological systems protein-based structures ultimately depend on the context they form. We combine the self-assembling properties of synthetic diblock copolymers and proteins to construct intricately ordered, three-dimensional polymer protein structures with the ultimate goal of forming nano-scale devices. This hybrid approach takes advantage of the capabilities of organic polymer chemistry to build ordered structures and the capabilities of genetic engineering to create proteins that are selective for inorganic or organic substrates. Here, microphase-separated block copolymers coupled with genetically engineered heat shock proteins are used to produce nano-scale patterning that maximizes the potential for both increased structural complexity and integrity.