CAREER: Design and Synthesis of Polypeptide Block Copolymers for the Construction of Novel, Self-Assembling Nanostructures

这项授予埃默里大学文森特·P·康蒂塞洛博士的职业奖项得到了化学部先进材料项目的支持。研究的重点是多肽嵌段共聚物的设计、生物合成和表征，这些嵌段共聚物能够自组装成明确的纳米结构。最初的目标将基于蜘蛛牵引丝的结构模型，该结构模型被组织成不同的刚性和柔性区域，考虑到其高压缩和高拉伸强度的不同寻常的组合。这项研究的具体内容将包括使用分子建模技术设计和评估蜘蛛丝类似物，使用重组DNA技术生物合成候选蛋白质，以及表征合成嵌段共聚多肽的结构和在溶液和固体中的自组装。通过使用蛋白质结构原理和聚合物材料科学的概念，非天然蛋白质材料的制备将具有模拟或超过天然材料的特性。职业奖的教学部分将与设立新的物理、材料和计算科学系平行。将开发以生物技术和化学及材料化学的跨学科研究生课程为基础的核心课程。其中将包括为新学生提供的导师/被辅导者计划，开发基于网络的本科无机化学课程，以及建立材料化学的新生研讨会。

This CAREER award to Dr. Vincent P. Conticello at Emory University is supported by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division. The focus of the research is the design, biosynthesis and characterization of polypeptide block copolymers that are capable of self-assembly into well-defined nanostructures. Initial targets will be based on the structural model of spider dragline silk, which is organized into distinct rigid and flexible domains, accounting for its unusual combination of high compressive and tensile strength. Specific elements of the research will be design and evaluation of spider silk analogs using molecular modeling techniques, biosynthesis of candidate proteins using recombinant DNA techniques, and characterization of the structure and self-assembly of the synthetic block co-polypeptides in both solution and the solid state. By using the principles of protein structure and concepts of polymer materials science, non-natural protein-based materials will be prepared with properties that emulate or exceed natural materials.The teaching component of the CAREER award will parallel the establishment of a new Department of Physical, Materials and Computational Science. Core curricula based on interdisciplinary graduate courses in Biotechnology and Chemistry and Chemistry of Materials will be developed. Included will be advisor/advisee programs for new students, development of a web-based undergraduate inorganic chemistry course, and establishment of Freshmen seminars in Materials Chemistry.