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Nanofabrication of protein fibres and matrices using self-assembly peptides of De Novo design

Reference	E13753
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Dek Woolfson
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Sussex
Department	Biology and Environmental Science
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	208,488
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	15/02/2001
End date	15/02/2004
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Recently we designed two peptides to self-assemble into protein fibres when mixed. We demonstrated fibrillogenesis by spectroscopy and electron microscopy; the assembly process was reproducible and gave highly ordered structures (diameter approx. 40 nm, greater or equal to length 100 (micro m). The experiments outlined here (A) to improve the design (in particular, stability), and (B) to test routes to potential applications for the fibres as novel biomaterials in nano/biotechnology. Towards the second goal, we aim: 1) to determine if the fibres can be aligned; 2) to make branched fibres to enable the construction of protein-based molecular grids and matrices; and 3) to introduce functionality into the fibres by incorporating small molecules and proteins.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Engineering & Biological Systems (EBS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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