Genetically-Engineered, Nanoscale, Biosilica-Immobilized Functional Materials
EMSL Project ID
47744
Abstract
The next generation materials for the deployment of antibodies and receptors with the enhanced stability needed for real-world applications will be three dimensional nanosystems with multiscale architectures, which use bio-assembly techniques to control overall physical properties and incorporate functional proteins. However, we are at the early stages of achieving this. Chemical crosslinking and adsorption, the most common methods for linking proteins to silica supports, can inactivate or denature proteins. In our experience with yeast display, for example, more than 50% of small chain variable fragments of antibodies (i.e., scFvs) do not retain antigen-binding activity after they are uncoupled from the yeast anchor protein and expressed as stand-alone scFvs. Significant follow-on work is then required to optimize a protein for its target application. Alternative methods for immobilization of proteins on silica supports would be desirable. The biosilica cell walls of diatoms, the frustules, have been recognized for some time as hierarchically ordered, mesoporous, micro-to-nanoscale structures that can serve as the basis for development of advanced materials. The genetically-modified diatom system can circumvent these issues by linking the protein to diatom biosilica through biosynthesis during growth and differentiation of diatoms under ambient, cell culture conditions. Once constructed, the modified diatoms are amenable to scalable synthesis by scaling cell culture technology to production goals.
Project Details
Start Date
2012-12-04
End Date
2013-10-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members