Synthesis and Directed Assembly of Bio-Hybrid Materials with Membrane-Protein-Mediated Transport Performance

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Nontechnical: This award by the Biomaterials Program in the Division of Materials Research to Colorado School of Mines aims to overcome the materials challenge on harnessing membrane protein (MP) functions in engineered systems. MPs represent a family of biologically-derived and bio-renewable high-performance nanomaterials that are largely unexplored. These proteins are the "gate-keepers" of cells, and are involved in critical life processes, such as energy conversion, matter transport and information processing. These same MP-mediated functions are also highly coveted nanoengineering feats in synthetic systems. Exploiting MPs for nanoengineering may help understand, predict, and ultimately control recognition and transport at the nanoscale, but is greatly impeded by the fluidic and labile nature of biomembranes. This study bridges the gap between biotic and abiotic systems by developing chemically versatile synthetic membranes to support MP functions. The successful outcome of this study will help unleash the full potential of MPs to create novel nanotechnologies ranging from solar conversion to high throughput diagnostics. With respect to broad impact on education, this project builds a multi-tiered education program on renewable materials. The objective of this program is to bring societal awareness on sustainability, and motivate undergraduate and K-12 students to pursue career paths on bio-renewable materials. A focused outreach component, "Summer Experience @ Mines", targets minority students at a local high school by hosting their first exposure to engineering studies and college life, and develop curriculum materials for their Biotechnology class. A broader outreach component includes training K-12 science teachers and dissemination of the curriculum materials to local and nearby school districts. Technical: This award is to develop bio-hybrid materials with membrane-protein-mediated transport performance. Membrane proteins (MPs) are biologically-derived and bio-renewable high-performance nanomaterials. Despite numerous proof-of-concept demonstrations of MPs' great potential in engineered systems, little is known on how to design synthetic MP-supporting membranes that balance a dichotomy between fluidity and stability, and how to direct spontaneous MP reconstitution into these robust membranes to form 2-dimensional (2-D) or 3-D proteomembrane arrays. Using proteorhodopsin, a light-driven proton pump as a model, this study will elucidate: (1) the directed assembly principles to reconstitute proteorhodopsin into hierarchically organized proteomembrane arrays; and (2) the roles of synthetic membranes in shaping proteorhodopsin function. Since proteorhodopsin has a common seven transmembrane (7 TM) architecture of G protein-coupled receptors, a large family of MPs that regulate energy conversion, matter transport and biosensing. The guiding concepts learnt from this study have the potential to benefit a broad range of MP-based nanotechnologies. This multidisciplinary study provides ample opportunities to train students at the interdisciplinary area of materials engineering, synthetic chemistry, biophysics, and protein engineering. With this award, this research group will design a multi-tiered soft matter education program entitled "Renewable Materials for Sustainable Future". This program aims to: (1) improve educational components on soft matter by course development; (2) support undergraduate students from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, the Society of Women Engineering, and International Exchange Students Program to have "hands-on" research experience; and (3) build regular and systematic outreach activities to K-12 students in local and nearby school districts.