Generation, functionalization, and distribution of de novo designed protein nanomaterials

蛋白质是大分子，具有复杂的三维（3D）结构，赋予它们复杂的细胞功能。为了提供在自然界中找不到的复杂蛋白质结构，华盛顿大学的Baker和King教授以及加州大学洛杉矶分校的Yeates教授合作计算并精确控制蛋白质在3D结构中的组装。研究小组与工程界和科学界分享这些能力，并建立了一个设计蛋白质纳米材料（DPN）数据库，使其他人能够快速建立这些进展。长期目标是允许基于蛋白质的材料的可预测设计，用于广泛的应用，如靶向药物输送，能量转换功能材料和其他化学技术。该跨学科项目为博士后研究人员和学生提供了良好的研究培训机会。这项研究将理论、计算和实验结合起来，缩短了目前使用传统蛋白质工程方法无法获得的新型蛋白质基纳米材料的设计周期。它开发了从模块化构建块制备更坚固和复杂的蛋白质纳米材料的策略，其3D组装和拆卸可以根据环境条件的变化而发生。该研究团队招募公民科学家，使用Foldit解决复杂的蛋白质设计问题，并提供创新的输入，以增强这些材料的功能化。

Proteins are large molecules that have complex three-dimensional (3D) structures that give them sophisticated cellular functions. To provide access to complex protein structures not found in nature, Professors Baker and King of the University of Washington and Professor Yeates of University of California Los Angeles collaborate to compute and precisely control the assembly of proteins into 3D architectures. The research team shares these capabilities with the engineering and scientific communities and constructs a Designed Protein Nanomaterial (DPN) database to enable others to rapidly build on these advances. The long-term goal is to allow predictable design of protein-based materials for use in a wide range of applications such as targeted drug delivery, functional materials for energy conversion, and other chemical technologies. The interdisciplinary project provides excellent research training opportunities to postdoctoral researchers and students. This research integrates theory, computation and experiment to close the design cycle on creation of new protein-based nanomaterials that are not currently accessible using conventional protein engineering approaches. It develops strategies to prepare more robust and complex protein nanomaterials from modular building blocks, whose 3D assembly and disassembly can occur in response to changes in environmental conditions. The research team recruits citizen scientists to solve complex protein design problems using Foldit, and to provide innovative input to enhance functionalization of such materials.