Collaborative Research: Biomolecular Templating of Functional Inorganic Nanostructures

智力优势：生物有机体使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。这里提出的研究利用生物分子和生物灵感来开发和集成新的生物制造工艺，使用基因工程工具来构建功能性多组分纳米结构。杜克大学和华盛顿大学的这一合作伙伴关系旨在通过在自组装的3D DNA模板上进行蛋白质定向固定化来制造复杂的、具有等离子体功能的无机纳米结构。这项研究利用了可寻址的DNA平铺晶格，用于特定无机材料的成核和定向固定的基因选择和工程肽，以及DNA结合蛋白(DBPs)来连接两者。无机物基因工程多肽(GEPI)因其能够从电解液中合成和/或固定化金属、半导体和氧化物的纳米颗粒而在体内被选择。这些多肽将在基因上与DBP融合，这些DBP被设计成在特定地址的结合位点附着到DNA瓦格上。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，以产生具有有趣的等离子体性质的功能纳米结构。BROADER影响：拟议的工作将开发新的生物制造技术，以创建各种具有高信息密度的纳米光子、纳米电子和纳米磁性设备。生物医学装置的制造是一个显而易见的目标，但也可以预见更广泛的应用。杜克大学的团队将为北卡罗来纳科学与数学学院的有才华的高中生提供暑期实验室职位。他们还将指导美国化学协会SEED(弱势群体暑期教育体验)项目的学生。皮耶希公爵和皮耶希共同领导了杜克大学纳米科学研讨会系列，该研讨会在整个校园内传播纳米科学研究。华盛顿大学的团队参与了华盛顿校园的八个外展项目。这些项目包括暑期REU项目、面向美洲原住民学生的学年本科生研究体验项目，以及NSF-NEU面向本科生的课程开发项目，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.