Description du projet
Un co-assemblage de cages protéiques biologiques et de matériaux synthétiques
Pour préparer et caractériser la prochaine génération de matériaux fonctionnels, il est nécessaire de parvenir à mettre en place un ordre structurel à l’échelle nanométrique dans une matière complexe. Les matériaux multicomposants hiérarchiquement ordonnés permettent d’intégrer des blocs de construction nanoparticulaires de manière contrôlée dans des structures périodiques. Les ferritines et les capsides de virus sont des exemples de nanocages à base de protéines, dont la structure est monodispersée et géométriquement définie et qui peuvent être utilisés pour encapsuler différents matériaux. Le projet ProCrystal, financé par l’UE, propose de co-assembler des cages protéiques biologiques et des matériaux synthétiques pour combler le fossé entre les assemblages ordonnés synthétiques et biologiques. Les avantages potentiels comprennent notamment la création d’assemblages plasmoniques accordables magnétiquement, de matériaux poreux capables de lier simultanément des composants organiques et inorganiques, et de nanostructures inorganiques à base de modèles de cristaux de cages protéiques.
Objectif
The possibility to direct nanoscale structural order in complex matter is an important prerequisite for the preparation and characterisation of next-generation functional materials. Hierarchically ordered multicomponent materials are particularly interesting in this respect, since they allow controlled integration of different nanoparticle/material building blocks into periodic nanostructures with lattice constants that are much shorter than the wavelength of light. However, most of the current nanostructured materials consist of fully synthetic or biological materials since the integration of biological and synthetic building blocks in a designed manner remains a challenging task.
Here we propose an approach based on the co-assembly of biological protein cages and synthetic materials to bridge the gap between ordered synthetic materials and biological assemblies. Protein-based nanocages, such as ferritins and virus capsids, offer a complex yet monodisperse and geometrically well-defined cage that can be used to encapsulate different materials. We will utilize ferritin and virus particles as a size constrained reaction vessels to prepare monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles and combine these electrostatically with synthetic noble metal nanoparticles to yield diverse crystal arrangement with coupled magnetic and plasmonic properties. During the course of the project, we will address important challenges, such as how to design responsive and collectively behaving biohybrid materials and to push the research and results beyond the current state-of-the-art. We aim to achieve this by using unconventional methods in designing, synthesising and applying new functional materials whose interactions and co-crystalline packing with biomacromolecules can be controlled. Potential outcomes include magnetically tuneable plasmonic assemblies, porous materials capable of simultaneous binding of organic and inorganic guest and protein cage crystal template inorganic nanostructures.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitution d’accueil
02150 Espoo
Finlande