Collaborative Research: Biomolecular Templating of Functional Inorganic Nanostructures

知识专长：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。 这里提出的研究利用生物分子和生物灵感开发和整合新的生物制造过程，使用基因工程工具构建功能性多组分纳米结构。 杜克大学和华盛顿大学之间的这种合作伙伴关系旨在利用蛋白质定向固定在自组装的3D DNA模板上来制造复杂的等离子体功能无机纳米结构。 该研究利用可寻址的DNA瓦片晶格，遗传选择和工程肽用于特定无机材料的成核和定向固定，以及DNA结合蛋白（DBP）在两者之间架起桥梁。 无机物的基因工程肽（GEPIs）在体内被选择，因为它们能够特异性地合成和/或从电解质溶液中溶解金属、半导体和氧化物的纳米颗粒。 这些肽将与设计成在特定寻址的结合位点处附着于DNA瓦片晶格的DBP遗传融合。 一旦在晶格上排列，GEPIs将用于在温和条件下在精确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。 拟议的工作将开发新的生物制造技术，以创建各种各样的纳米光子，纳米电子和纳米磁器件与高信息密度。 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。 杜克团队将为来自北卡罗来纳州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学会的SEED项目（夏季教育体验）的学生。 杜克PI和合作PI领导杜克纳米科学研讨会系列，传播纳米科学研究在整个校园。 华盛顿大学集团参加了华盛顿校园的八个外展项目。 其中包括一个夏季REU计划，一个学年的本科生研究经验计划，为美洲原住民学生，和一个NSF-NEU计划的课程开发为本科生，其中包括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.