Biomolecular Sol-Gel Glasses Containing Encapsulated Enzymesand Other Proteins

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This research program is at the interface between materials science and chemistry/biochemistry. The collaborative research effort is aimed at developing a new type of biomolecular material in which enzymes and other proteins are encapsulated in inorganic glass matrices synthesized by the sol-gel method at room temperature. Biochemistry is largely a solution-based discipline, but the application of the sol-gel technique enables us to prepare novel solid-state materials which exhibit the electrical, optical, chemical and biological properties of the biomolecule as well as the stability and integrity of the inorganic oxide matrix. The primary objectives of this project are (1) to develop methods of synthesis for this new class of solid-state biomolecular materials, (2) to elucidate the nature of the interactions between the glasses and the biomolecules and (3) to explore applications of these materials as optically-based biosensors. The research results are expected to provide a fundamental understanding of the role of synthesis conditions in retaining the properties of the biomolecule dopant in the solid-state environment. The optical transparency of the matrix enables us to use spectroscopic methods to characterize the structure, chemical function and activity of the biomolecule dopant. The work on biosensors is designed to exploit the specificity of enzymes and other proteins in combination with the transparent, porous and chemically stable matrix of the inorganic oxide. This Materials Synthesis and Processing project is jointly funded by the NSF Divisions: The Division of Materials Research; Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences; Division of Chemistry.