2021 IRG2: Stimuli-Responsive Assembly of Supramolecular Peptide Nanofibers Across Scales
Natural proteins exhibit a range of complex structures, functions, and dynamics lacking from synthetic materials. The design of supramolecular materials mimicking these biological features requires the development of design principles for dynamic biomolecular structures and a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of those structures. The use of supramolecular building blocks of larger fiber structures imparts control over the initiation and propagation of higher order peptide assembly. The use of bulk light scattering and secondary structure analytical techniques enables the characterization of hierarchical structure dynamics.
In this work we show that intentional destabilization of monomer peptides away from their preferred assembly conformation effectively gates assembly, triggering self-assembly only under appropriate solution conditions. This design principle can be used to impart biochemical responsiveness and enable multiplexed sensitivity of hierarchical supramolecular materials to disparate input stimuli.
UCI MRSEC 2011967 IRG-2 Hochbaum Supramolecular peptides.pptx
Adam Grosvirt-Dramen, Zachary Urbach, Allon Hochbaum (University of California, Irvine)