Programmable Architectures using Oligomer Assemblies

目前，人类文明依赖于采用自上而下的方法在硅计算机芯片上连续生成更小、更复杂的纳米图案的机器。当技术进步所需要的复杂性变得过于具有挑战性时，就会出现一个极限。另一种选择是自下而上的方法，它可以在分子尺度上引入更多的复杂性，如生物化学的例子。与硅技术不同，分子纳米技术并不局限于一种材料，它有可能被用于更广泛的应用领域。到目前为止，在试图使合成化学系统具有与生物学中发现的化学系统相似的功能方面，只迈出了最初的一步。大多数生物机械是由信息编码的低聚物（蛋白质、核酸或多糖）组成的。已经进行了一些关于用DNA等生物结构创建不同结构的研究，但这个项目的目标是使用亨特小组已经发明的结构的合成信息低聚物来创建非生物组装。在这个项目中，低聚物将在肽合成器上使用固相合成技术合成。要尝试的第一个装配将是程序长度的游标双工。一旦这种双工被探索，其他可编程组件将被尝试。用于探索这些双相化合物性质的方法将包括核磁共振，等温滴定量热法，LCMS以及传统的化学合成。

Civilisation currently relies on machines which adopt a top-down approach to generate successively smaller and more complex nanopatterns on silicon computer chips. There will come a limit when the intricacy required to progress this technology becomes too challenging. The alternative is the bottom-up approach, which enables much more complexity to be introduced at the molecular scale, as exemplified by biochemistry. Unlike silicon technology, molecular nanotechnology is not restricted to one material and it could potentially be used for a much wider array of applications. So far, only the very first steps have been taken in trying to make synthetic chemical systems capable of similar functions to those found in biology.The majority of biological machinery is made up of information encoded oligomers (proteins, nucleic acids or polysaccharides). Some research into creating diverse architectures with biological architectures such DNA has been performed, but this project will aim to create abiotic assemblies using synthetic information oligomers of the structure already invented by the Hunter group.In this project the oligomers will be synthesised using solid-phase synthesis on a peptide synthesizer. The first assembly to be attempted will be a Vernier duplex of programmed length. Once this duplex has been explored other programmable assemblies will be attempted. Methods used to explore the properties of these duplexes will include NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry, LCMS as well as traditional chemical synthesis.