Collaborative Research: Protein engineering and processing of plant viral templates for controlled nanoparticle synthesis

纳米材料具有与其尺寸相关的独特性质。这些材料的性质由它们的结构控制。因此，必须严格控制其生产。在这类进程中，统一的模板将极为有用。大麦条纹花叶病毒（Barley stripe mosaic virus，BSMV）是一种结构高度均一的植物病毒。使用来自BSMV的模板，提出了作为一个经济的替代目前的过程。来自BSMV的病毒样颗粒（VLP）将被设计为生产金属纳米材料的模板。 研究生和本科生将接受设计和制作这些模板的培训。来自代表性不足的群体和公众的高中生将通过创新的研讨会参与进来，向他们传授生物工程和纳米材料的力量。BSMV是合成金属纳米材料的一种有吸引力的生物模板。 它可以比其他生物模板更密集地涂覆金属。它与金属前体离子溶液静电相互作用，以存款更广泛的金属。它需要更少的处理步骤来完全涂覆。将研究关键BSMV氨基酸残基在介导VLP表面上的金属矿化中的作用。蛋白质和RNA工程策略，以控制生物模板的性能和促进生物模板的鲁棒性将被追求。将改变表面残基以促进金属-模板相互作用。将优化热处理以产生具有高电导率的生物模板材料。如果成功，开发的技术将为设计BSMV生物模板创建经济的细菌表达和纯化管道。可以在其上沉积的金属的范围将扩大。将揭示生物模板上金属沉积所涉及的有机-无机相互作用的关键见解。该项目的结果可能会阐明BSMV衣壳蛋白如何自组装的结构细节，有影响的感染和治疗的谷类作物，易受BSMV。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Nano-scaled materials have unique properties that are tied to their size. The properties of these materials are controlled by their architecture. As a result, their manufacture must be tightly controlled. A uniform template would be extremely useful in such processes. Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) is a plant virus with highly uniform structure. Using templates derived from BSMV is proposed as an economical alternative to current processes. Virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from BSMV will be designed to act as templates for the production of metallic nanomaterials. Graduate and undergraduate students in will be trained to design and produce these templates. High school students from underrepresented groups and the general public will be engaged through innovative workshops that teach them about the power of biological engineering and nanomaterials. BSMV is an attractive biotemplate for synthesis of metallic nanomaterials. It can be more densely coated with metal than other biotemplates. It interacts electrostatically with metal precursor ion solutions to deposit a wider range of metals. It requires fewer processing steps to coat fully. The role of key BSMV amino acid residues in mediating metal mineralization on the VLP surface will be investigated. Protein and RNA engineering strategies to control biotemplate properties and facilitate biotemplate robustness will be pursued. Surface residues will be altered to facilitate metal-template interactions. Thermal processing to create biotemplated-materials with high electrical conductivities will be optimized. If successful, the techniques developed will create an economical bacterial expression and purification pipeline for designer BSMV biotemplates. The range of metals that ca be deposited on them will be broadened. Key insights into organic-inorganic interactions involved in metal deposition on biotemplates will be uncovered. The project results may elucidate structural details about how BSMV capsid proteins self-assemble, having implications for the infection and treatment of cereal crops that are susceptible to BSMV.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.