Mechanics of Self-assembled Peptide Structures

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。该奖项的研究目标是阐明自然界中重要的自组装机制和多肽分子相互作用，这些机制和多肽分子相互作用很容易被利用来制造高性能材料。这些材料的性能可能达到或超过角蛋白、丝素或胶原蛋白，这些材料具有刚性、韧性、低密度和难以综合匹配的生物相容性的独特组合。这项研究将建立一个基于形态的多肽性能模型，并将描述大自然如何利用许多弱相互作用而不是几个强相互作用来构建高性能材料。成果包括将多肽性能与形态联系起来的基本热力学模型，多肽的性质测量和获得这些性质的方法的改进，对本科生和研究生的培训和指导，以及通过与科学教师合作开发的符合当前学习标准的高中科学课程。如果成功，研究结果将允许从丰富而廉价的可持续来源设计高性能仿生材料。这些材料的应用范围从可生物降解的塑料到高度质构的食品，再到可以植入人体的材料。结果的传播将允许一种简单的基于生物的非石油材料的范例，这些材料可以以类似于自然使用的过程的低能量方式进行处理。这一范例可供化工和材料行业使用。高中生、本科生和研究生将获得与生物技术相关的新兴工程学科的个人指导和实践经验。高中教师将有机会开发关于最新生物技术的实验室和课程，以激发学生对与当前相关的主题的兴趣。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this award is to elucidate important self-assembly mechanisms and peptide molecular interactions in nature that could be easily exploited to make high performance materials. These materials could have properties meeting or exceeding keratin, silk, or collagen, which have a unique combination of rigidity, toughness, low density, and biocompatibility that is difficult to match synthetically. The research will result in a model of peptide performance based on morphology and will describe how nature utilizes many weak interactions rather than a few strong ones to build high performance materials. Outcomes include a fundamental thermodynamic model relating peptide performance to morphology, property measurement of peptides and enhancement of methods to obtain those properties, training and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate engineering students, and high school science lessons that meet current standards of learning developed through collaborations with science teachers.If successful, the research results will allow for the design of high performance biomimetic materials from sustainable sources that are abundant and inexpensive. The spectrum of applications for these materials ranges from biodegradable plastics to highly texturized foods to materials that can be implanted into the human body. Dissemination of results would allow for a simple paradigm of bio-based, non-petroleum materials that could be processed in low energy ways similar to the processes nature employs. This paradigm could be used by the chemicals and materials industries. High school, undergraduate, and graduate students will receive personal mentoring and hands-on experiences in emerging engineering disciplines related to biotechnology. High school teachers will have the opportunity to develop laboratories and curricula on the latest bio-based technologies to stimulate student interest in topics of current relevance.