Patterning Interfaces with High Molecular Weight Periodically Sequenced Sheet-Forming Polypeptides

ID：MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623)1006407 PI：TU，Raymond ORG：CUNY City College.TLLE：Patterning InterFaces With High Moment Week周期性测序片状多肽优点：拟议工作的目标是创建一种周期性测序的高分子量和低多分散性的多肽，用于构图限制在界面上的自组织纳米结构。PI小组以前的努力是用低分子量周期性测序的多肽作为模板界面，得到了表面受限的自组织纤维图案，但这些图案具有低长宽比和高缺陷频率。本文提出了利用缩合反应来促进高分子量周期序列多肽(PSP)的合成。通常，缩合聚合过程的多分散性由复合的统计数据决定，从而导致广泛的分布。提出的制备高分子量和窄多分散性多肽的方法是基于控制多相传输受限反应中不断增长的β-链的缩合动力学。合成窄分布的拟活性缩合聚合物的机理是三个关键现象的结果：协同折叠、朗缪尔吸附动力学和有效反应速率随分子量的变化而降低。为了对反应产物进行表征，PI将应用组成梯度多角度光散射、核磁共振和LC-MS的组合。为了在分子长度尺度上表征组装，将使用Langmuir-Blodgett技术、圆二色谱和衰减全反射-FTIR。布鲁斯特角度显微镜、成像椭偏仪和荧光显微镜将被用来表征超分子长度尺度上的组装。布罗德的影响：这项提议可能导致生产序列和链长可控的多肽的新的、成本更低的方法。它将支持两名研究生和几名本科生的工作。事实上，两名本科生进行了所有初步实验，这项提议建立在这些实验的基础上。本科生将继续通过三种不同的机制参与其中。首先，PI参加了两个由国家科学基金会赞助的本科教育项目(1)NSF-NUE(国家科学基金会工程和科学专业的纳米材料教育)(NSF EEC 0634223)和(2)纽约大学-CCNY，REU软材料和界面科学与工程(NSF DMR 0648788)。该大学旨在加强对中央人民大学本科生的纳米技术和纳米材料教育。REU与纽约大学合作，跨学科的重点是软材料和界面。这些外展项目将让通常在科学和工程领域没有机会的学生接触到学术研究。其次，PI希望通过直接参与他的实验室，为CCNY高度多样化的学生群体(36%西班牙裔，30%黑人，23%亚裔和11%白人)提供高质量的本科培训。在PI实验室工作的20名学生中，有11名是女性，其中包括两名西班牙裔女性和两名非裔美国女性。PI致力于发展多样化的实验室环境，这与CCNY的使命是一致的。第三，从研究生到高中，PI正在全面整合研究和教育。为此，PI正在与纽约哈莱姆区的数学、科学和工程高中(HSMSE)共同领导一项同行学习计划。该项目有两个目标：第一，激发和招募来自不同社区的学生进入STEM领域，第二，让更多的工程专业学生参与教学。该项目通过让CCNY的本科生有机会在HSMSE教授化学工程来传播知识。同龄人的互动培养了一个积极的学习环境，通过分享日常经验来促进人们对科学和工程的兴趣。这种共同点的概念特别重要，因为HSMSE的多样化人群目前反映了CCNY的构成。

ID: MPS/DMR/BMAT(7623) 1006407 PI: Tu, Raymond ORG: CUNY City CollegeTitle: Patterning Interfaces with High Molecular Weight Periodically Sequenced Sheet-Forming PolypeptidesINTELLECTUAL MERIT: The goal of the proposed work is to create a periodically sequenced polypeptide with a high molecular weight and a low polydispersity for patterning self-organized nanostructures confined at interfaces. Previous efforts in the PI's group to template interfaces with low molecular weight periodically sequenced peptides have yielded surface confined self-organized fibrillar patterns, but these patterns have a low aspect ratio and a high defect frequency. It is proposed here to use a condensation reaction to promote a high molecular weight periodically sequenced polypeptide (PSP). Typically, the polydispersity of the condensation polymerization process is determined by the statistics of recombination, leading to a broad distribution. The approach proposed for making these polypeptides with a high molecular weight and a narrow polydispersity is based on controlling the condensation kinetics of a growing beta-strand in a multiphase transport-limited reaction. The mechanism to synthesize a pseudo-living condensation polymer with narrow distribution is an outcome of three key phenomena: cooperative folding, Langmuir adsorption kinetics, and effective reaction rates that decrease as a function of molecular weight. To characterize the reaction products the PI will apply a combination of composition gradient-multi-angle light scattering, NMR, and LC-MS. To characterize assembly at the molecular length scale, Langmuir-Blodgett techniques, circular dichroism, and attenuated total reflectance-FTIR will be applied. Brewster angle microscopy, imaging ellipsometry, and fluorescent microscopy will be used to characterize assembly at the supramolecular length scale.BROADER IMPACTS: The proposal may lead to new, less expensive methodology for producing polypeptides of controlled sequence and chain length. It will support the work two graduate students and several undergraduate students. In fact, two undergraduate students conducted all the preliminary experiments upon which the proposal is built. Undergraduates will continue to participate through three distinct mechanisms. First, the PI participates in two NSF sponsored undergraduate education programs (1) NSF-NUE (Nanomaterials Education for Engineering and Science Majors at CCNY) (NSF EEC 0634223) and (2) NYU-CCNY, REU for the Science and Engineering of Soft Materials and Interfaces (NSF DMR 0648788). The NUE is designed to enhance nanotechnology and nanomaterials education for undergraduate students at CCNY. The REU is in collaboration with NYU, and the interdisciplinary focus is soft materials and interfaces. These outreach programs will expose students, who typically don't have opportunities in science and engineering, to academic research. Second, the PI aspires to provide quality undergraduate training to a highly diverse student body at CCNY (36% Hispanic, 30% black, 23% Asian and 11% white) through direct participation in his laboratory. Among the twenty students who have worked in the PI's lab eleven are women, including two Hispanic women and two African American women. The PI is dedicated to the development of a diverse laboratory environment, which is in accord with the CCNY mission. Third, the PI is integrating research and education in a comprehensive fashion from the graduate to the high school level. To this end, the PI is leading a Peer-Learning Program with the High School of Math, Science and Engineering (HSMSE) in Harlem, NY. The program has two goals: first, to excite and recruit students from a diverse community into STEM fields and, second, to engage more engineering students in teaching. The program propagates knowledge by giving undergraduate students at CCNY an opportunity to teach chemical engineering at HSMSE. Peer interactions foster a positive learning environment where interest in science and engineering is promoted through shared everyday experience. This notion of common ground is particularly important because the diverse population at HSMSE currently mirrors the makeup at CCNY.