Synthetic biology approaches to exploring property-function relationships of reflective proteins for adaptive coloration and repellence

探索反射蛋白的特性-功能关系的合成生物学方法，以实现适应性着色和排斥

• 批准号: 1961806
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Manchester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2017 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1961806
• 关键词: Synthetic; biology; approaches; exploring; property

Using modern synthetic biology and recombinant DNA approaches, the aim of this study is to establish methods for (1) the synthesis and characterisation of novel reflectin proteins and (2) the fabrication of reflectin-based films/fibres with desirable optical, structural, and adaptive properties. Achieving these aims will require probing the sequence-property-function relationships of reflectins by firstly rapidly exploring the sequence-structure-functional space using high-throughput assembly, expression and structural/functional characterisation methods, and secondly, designing and utilising methods of fabrication and functional characterisation of reflectin-based films/fibres and photonic structures. Initially, methods for both the hyper-variation of reflectin domains and domain-domain assembly of reflectin sequences into full-length genes will be developed, which will involve predictions of folded structure, estimation/exploration of domain boundaries, and investigations into the role of conserved amino acids in defining optical properties and domain structural integrity. The solubility of reflectin variant domains will then be probed using C-terminal GFP tagging before full-length constructs are formed using automated combinatorial assembly methods and screened for desired solubility. Finally, both the orthogonal introduction of non-canonical amino acids (amino acids possessing novel chemical, physical, and biological properties) will be probed with the aim of introducing novel functionality, likely unattainable by nature, into assembled reflectin domains, followed by the functional analysis of these synthetic reflectin proteins. Methods of fabrication of reflectin-based films and fibres will be explored and developed, for example using spin-, dip, and flow-coating, and sol-gel processing, with the aim of developing materials with desirable properties, particularly adaptive colouration and repellence.

利用现代合成生物学和重组DNA方法，本研究的目的是建立方法（1）新的反射蛋白的合成和表征和（2）反射基薄膜/纤维的制造所需的光学，结构和自适应性能。实现这些目标将需要探测反射蛋白的序列-性质-功能关系，首先通过使用高通量组装、表达和结构/功能表征方法快速探索序列-结构-功能空间，其次，设计和利用基于反射蛋白的膜/纤维和光子结构的制造和功能表征方法。最初，将开发用于反射蛋白结构域的超变异和反射蛋白序列到全长基因的结构域-结构域组装的方法，这将涉及折叠结构的预测、结构域边界的估计/探索以及保守氨基酸在定义光学性质和结构域结构完整性中的作用的调查。然后，在使用自动化组合组装方法形成全长构建体并筛选所需的溶解度之前，使用C-末端GFP标记来探测反射蛋白变体结构域的溶解度。最后，非典型氨基酸（具有新的化学，物理和生物学特性的氨基酸）的正交引入将被探讨，目的是引入新的功能，可能无法实现的性质，到组装的反射域，然后这些合成反射蛋白的功能分析。将探索和开发基于反射的膜和纤维的制造方法，例如使用旋涂、浸涂和流涂以及溶胶-凝胶处理，目的是开发具有所需特性的材料，特别是自适应着色和排斥性。

项目成果

Design and fabrication of recombinant reflectin-based multilayer reflectors: bio-design engineering and photoisomerism induced wavelength modulation.

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94042-6
• 发表时间: 2021-07-16
• 期刊: Scientific reports
• 影响因子: 4.6
• 作者: Wolde-Michael E;Roberts AD;Heyes DJ;Dumanli AG;Blaker JJ;Takano E;Scrutton NS
• 通讯作者: Scrutton NS