"A Self Assembling Nanometer Tinker Toy From Phage T4 Tail Fiber Parts".

这个探索性研究项目的小额拨款是使用细菌病毒T4的尾部纤维部分来检查这些蛋白质类建筑材料的机械和其他性能，其中许多似乎表现出不同寻常的强度和硬度。二聚体片段的产生数量适中，可用于结构分析。这些材料的结构信息将被用来促进分子建模和性能的理论估计，如刚性、弹性和拉伸强度，以及设计新的结构部件。通过使用基因技术改变基本构建块的末端，将制造出更长的聚合物。聚合物的平均长度可以通过添加不同极限浓度的“停止”亚基来确定。这项研究有可能从生物制品中生产出新的材料。

This small grant for exploratory research project is using tail fiber parts from the bacterial virus T4 to examine the mechanical and other properties of these proteinaceous building materials, many of which seem to exhibit unusual strength and stiffness. Dimer fragments are being produced in quantities appropriate for structural analysis. The structural information from these materials will be used to facilitate molecular modelling and theoretical estimations of properties such as stiffness, elasticity and tensile strength, as well as in designing novel structural parts. Longer polymers will be made by using genetic techniques to alter the ends of the basic building blocks. Average length of the polymers can be determined by adding "stop" subunits in different limiting concentrations. %%% This research has the potential to produce novel materials from biological products.