Collaborative Research: Biomolecular Templating of Functional Inorganic Nanostructures

智力优势：生物体利用生物大分子将无机材料塑造成具有纳米级精度和特定物理功能的精致结构。本文提出的研究利用生物分子和生物灵感来开发和整合新的生物制造工艺，利用基因工程工具来构建功能多组分纳米结构。杜克大学和华盛顿大学之间的合作伙伴关系旨在利用蛋白质定向固定在自组装的3D DNA模板上制造复杂的、具有等离子体功能的无机纳米结构。该研究利用可寻址的DNA瓦片晶格、基因选择和工程肽进行特定无机材料的成核和定向固定化，以及DNA结合蛋白（DBPs）在两者之间架起桥梁。无机物基因工程肽（gepi）在体内被选中，因为它们具有合成和/或固定电解质溶液中金属、半导体和氧化物纳米颗粒的能力。这些肽将与DBPs基因融合，DBPs被设计在特定的结合位点附着在DNA晶格上。一旦排列在晶格上，gepi将在温和的条件下在精确的位置沉淀所需的无机材料，以产生具有有趣等离子体特性的功能纳米结构。更广泛的影响：提出的工作将发展新的生物制造技术，以创造各种具有高信息密度的纳米光子、纳米电子和纳米磁性器件。生物医学设备的制造是一个明显的目标，但也可以设想更广泛的应用。杜克大学团队将为来自北卡罗来纳科学与数学学院的优秀高中生提供暑期实验室职位。他们还将指导来自美国化学会项目SEED（弱势群体暑期教育经历）的学生。杜克大学的首席研究员和副首席研究员领导杜克大学纳米科学系列研讨会，在校园内传播纳米科学研究。华盛顿大学的小组参加了华盛顿校区的八个拓展项目。其中包括一个夏季REU项目，一个针对美国原住民学生的学年本科研究体验项目，以及一个针对本科生的NSF-NEU课程开发项目，其中包括一个动手扫描探针显微镜实验室。

INTELLECTUAL MERIT: Living organisms use biomacromolecules to pattern inorganic materials into exquisite structures with nanoscale precision and specific physical function. The research proposed here utilizes biomolecules and bio-inspiration to develop and integrate novel bio-fabrication processes using genetic engineering tools for building functional multi-component nanostructures. This collaborative partnership between Duke University and the University of Washington aims to fabricate complex, plasmonically functional inorganic nanostructures using protein-directed immobilization on self-assembled 3D DNA templates. The study makes use of addressable DNA tile lattices, genetically selected and engineered peptides for nucleating and directed immobilization of specific inorganic materials, and DNA binding proteins (DBPs) to bridge between the two. Genetically engineered peptides for inorganics (GEPIs) are selected in vivo for their ability specifically to synthesize and/or immobilize nanoparticles of metals, semiconductors, and oxides from electrolyte solutions. These peptides will be fused genetically with DBPs designed to attach to the DNA tile lattice at specifically addressed binding sites. Once arrayed on the lattice the GEPIs will serve to precipitate desired inorganic materials under mild conditions at precise locations to produce functional nanostructures with interesting plasmatic properties.BROADER IMPACTS: The proposed work will develop new bio-fabrication techniques to create a wide variety of nanophotonic, nanoelectronic, and nanomagnetic devices with high information density. The fabrication of biomedical devices is an obvious objective, but much broader applications can also be envisaged. The Duke team will offer summer lab positions to talented high school students from the North Carolina School of Science and Math. They will also mentor students from the American Chemical Society's Project SEED (Summer Educational Experience for the Disadvantaged). The Duke PI and Co-PI lead the Duke Nanoscience Seminar Series that disseminates nanoscience research across the campus. The University of Washington group participates in eight outreach programs on the Washington campus. These include a summer REU program, an academic year undergraduate research experience program for Native American students, and an NSF-NEU program for curriculum development for undergrads that includes a hands-on scanning probe microscopy lab.