Bacterial magnetosomes: Molecular modelling of magnetite biomineralization and generation of nano-magnetic hybrid materials

磁小体是细菌的细胞器，由被膜包裹的磁铁矿纳米晶颗粒组成。它们是通过高度控制的生物矿化进行生物合成的，这导致了独特的生化，晶体和磁性，使它们在许多生物医学和纳米技术应用中非常有趣。我们将使用逐步自下而上的方法，该方法基于细菌磁小体合成将产生新颖的多功能纳米磁杂化材料。无机磁芯和包裹生物膜的基因工程将用于产生具有可调特性的定制纳米材料。我们将制造具有可变大小和磁性的磁性纳米颗粒，表达分子识别基团、荧光团或抗体片段。在一个合作项目中，表面功能化磁小体粒子将用于硅藻生物二氧化硅的结合和磁性组装。最后，多种矿化活性肽将在磁小体表面表达，用于多肽定向原位合成无机涂层，具有多种用途。

Magnetosomes are bacterial organelles which comprise membrane-enveloped nanocrystalline particles of magnetite. They are biosynthesized by highly controlled biomineralization, which results in unique biochemical, crystalline, and magnetic properties that make them highly interesting for use in a number of biomedical and nanotechnological applications.We will use a stepwise bottom-up approach, which based on bacterial magnetosome synthesis will yield novel, multifunctional nanomagnetic hybrid materials. Genetic engineering of both the inorganic magnetic core and the enveloping biological membrane will be used to generate tailored nanomaterials with tunable properties. We will fabricate magnetic nanoparticles with variable sizes and magnetic characteristics that express molecular recognition groups, fluorophores, or antibody fragments. Within a collaborative project, surface-functionalized magnetosome particles will be used for binding and magnetic assembly of diatom biosilica. Finally, a variety of mineralization-active peptides will be expressed on the surface of magnetosomes, which will be employed for the peptidedirected in situ synthesis of inorganic coatings with use for various applications.