Directed Organization of Biological Materials at Inorganic Interfaces
EMSL Project ID
48201
Abstract
This research supports the BER mission to understand the mechanisms underlying biological processes in microbial systems and how to manipulate them in order to harness these processes for applications relevant to bio-derived energy and improved carbon storage. This research also fulfils the broader DOE mission of basic research for energy-relevant technologies. The process of biomineralization records the interaction of biota and Earth systems over time, sequesters vast mounts of CO2 through the production of carbonate minerals, and results in complex organic-inorganic composites with properties unrealized in synthetic materials. A common feature of biomineralizing systems is that nucleation of the inorganic phase is directed by an insoluble protein matrix that self-assembles into an organized network. In the first subtask, our research will result in a fundamental understanding of both the organization of protein matrices and the subsequent direction of mineral formation.
The realization that organisms use directed assembly at interfaces to create functional materials has inspired innovative approaches to materials organization that can be broadly characterized by the term “biotemplating”. However, the primary focus to date has been on intuitive exploration of chemical approaches to organization, and very little effort has gone into developing a fundamental understanding and quantification of the underlying physical mechanisms that govern organization of nanomaterials at biological templates or macromolecules at inorganic surfaces. Furthermore, the relationship between these mechanisms and the resulting materials function remains poorly understood. In the second subtask, we will develop a fundamental understanding and quantify the underlying physical mechanisms that govern organization of nanomaterials at biological templates, and macromolecules at inorganic surfaces.
One of the ultimate goals in studying how microbial systems carry out biomineralization is to develop highly stable synthetic molecules that mimic the function of natural proteins for controlling inorganic crystal formation. In the third subtask, we will focus on developing protein-like molecules called peptoids for self-assembly of biomimetic matrices for directing the formation of CaCO3.
Project Details
Start Date
2013-11-22
End Date
2014-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members