Objective
The aim of the proposed research is to construct and study new amphiphilic architectures built from the ferritin protein cage as a hydrophilic headgroup and a single synthetic polymer as the hydrophobic tail.
These so-called giant amphiphiles have been pre pared before in the host group using single enzymes as the headgroup. However, the use of an intact protein cage is novel and no such structures have been reported in the literature.
The aimed biohybrid polymer/protein architecture is even bigger than the giant amphiphiles studied so far, and the use of the ferritin cavity opens the way to introduce different functionalities (e.g. catalysts).
Ferritin is particularly suited for this purpose as it is monodisperse and robust, and furthermore its demetallated analogue (apo-ferritin) can be used to encase a variety of inorganic potentially catalytic compounds, i.e. forming a self-assembling nanoreactor.
The project consist of three work packages:
- The first one will focus on the modification of the (apo-)ferritin with synthetic polymers. A single attachment point on the protein mantle will be introduced to which a polymer can be coupled or to use it as an initiator to grow a polymer from the nanometre sized bio-particle.
- In work package 2 a detailed study of the self-assembling properties of the novel amphiphilic protein/polymer biohybrids will be carried out. The aggregation process will be studied by a variety of procedures such as spectroscopic studies, calorimetry, microscopy and scattering techniques.
- In the final work package the potential application of the apo-ferritin protein cage as a nanoreactor will be investigated.
Catalytic (inorganic) compounds can be introduced in this cavity, and assembling amphiphiles including different catalysts may eventually lead to a mimic of natural multi-enzyme systems. These complex architectures may be able to carry out a cascade of reactions in which the product of a reaction is the substrate for the next one.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences chemical sciences analytical chemistry calorimetry
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-5
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
NIJMEGEN
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.