NANOSCALE: An Electronic Component from Protein Self-Assembly

本项目的目标是从蛋白质中制造自组装二极管。这种装置的演示将是开发新型生物基电子元件的重要的第一步，最终设计成复杂的纳米级装置。第一个这种装置的开发的中间任务如下所述。1)优化金属蛋白质假天青蛋白表面残基以改善结晶性质。2)修饰蛋白质以在晶体内共价交联，从而提供机械稳定性并改善分子间传导。3)晶体导电性能的表征。4)通过添加额外的金属中心、蛋白质的化学修饰或这两种方法的某种组合来修饰这些性质。5)生长具有优化的氧化还原和传导性质的改性假天青蛋白质晶体，然后生长在这些性质上不同的额外蛋白质层。6)表征通过所得器件的定向传导。

The goal of this proposal is to produce a self-assembling diode from protein.Demonstration of such a device would be an important first step to the development of a new class of biologically-based electronic components, ultimately designed to self-assemble into complex nanometer-scale devices.Intermediate tasks toward the development of the first such device are proposed as follows. 1) Optimization of the surface residues of the metaloprotein pseudoazurin to improve crystallization properties. 2) Modification of the protein to covalently cross-link within the crystal to provide mechanical stability and to improve intermolecular conduction. 3) Characterization of electric conduction properties of the crystal. 4) Modification of those properties through addition of an additional metal center, chemical modification of the protein, or some combination of these two methods. 5) Growth of modified pseudoazurin protein crystals with optimized redox and conduction properties,followed by growth of an additional layer of protein differing in those properties. 6) Characterization of the directional conduction through the resulting device.