Molecular Biomimetic

Other Unique Engineering Ideas

Mother Nature provides invaluable lessons in the design of molecular materials with enormous variety of biological and engineering functionalities and, concurrently, permits us to genetically design molecular systems for a wide range of practical applications in physical and medical technologies. Among the fundamental building blocks in biology, polypeptides (and proteins) are molecules with immense information content.Molecular Biomimetic systems are becoming important in providing models to fabricate particular functional materials. 

1. Description

2. Why

3. How

4. Future Trends

5. Related Links

Useful Links Consortium for Artificial Photosynthesis

Description 

Once the natural structures and materials are characterized and understood on a molecular level, endless possibilities to create novel technical materials and material compounds open up, based on fundamental building blocks that supersede those found in nature and that exhibit properties that exceed those of conventional technologies.The bottom up principle is again the way of choice because molecular self-assembly process can be exploited, as can nature's ability to create complex structures at room temperatures and pressures.This type of biomimicry not only takes the end product into account, but also the processes to achieve it, which is of great importance in the light of ever increasing demands for energy and resource efficient processes.

Why 

Molecular biomimetics is an emerging field in which hybrid technologies are developed by using the tools of molecular biology and nanotechnology. Taking lessons from biology, polypeptides can now be genetically engineered to specifically bind to selected inorganic compounds for applications in nano- and biotechnology.Adapting molecular biology to materials science we developed peptide-based protocols for the assembly and formation of hybrid materials and systems.In this approach of generating molecular scale biomimetic materials

  • peptides are designed,

  • synthesized,

  • genetically tailored and,

  • finally, utilized as potential molecular linkers in self-assembly, ordered organization, and fabrication of inorganics for specific technological applications. 

The potential areas range from molecular and nanoscale functional materials to medical fields, e.g., from diagnosis to biosensors. Combinatorial biological protocols, that is, bacterial cell surface and phage-display technologies, in the selection of short sequences that have affinity to (noble) metals, semiconducting oxides and other technological compounds.Artificial photosynthesis for fuel production is a quite recent field we will briefly discuss application of biomimetics in the following setion. 

How

Our knowledge about photosynthesis and the natural H2 forming reactions increases rapidly and during the last 10 years the three-dimensional structures of the photosynthetic reaction centers Photosystem I and II and many Hydrogenases have been solved.

  • The key for the biomimetic approach applied by the synthetic chemists in the consortium for Artificial Photosynthesis.

  • There have been many attempts to model crucial physical and chemical elementary steps in these enzymes by bio-mimetic chemistry.

  • The project is founded on two pillars,

    • The deep biochemical and biophysical knowledge about the natural enzymes and

    • The strong characterization of synthesized Mn, Ru-Mn and Fe-Fe compounds and of the natural enzymes

Proteins, through their unique and specific interactions with other macromolecules and inorganic substances, control structures and functions of all biological hard and soft tissues in organisms.These genetically engineered proteins for inorganics (GEPIs) can be used in the assembly of functional nanostructures. Based on the three fundamental principles of molecular recognition, self-assembly and DNA manipulation, we highlight successful uses of GEPI in nanotechnology.The fabrication of microcapsules comprised of human serum albumin (HSA) and L--dimyristoylphosphatitic acid (DMPA) by means of stepwise adsorption of HSA and DMPA on fluid droplet surfaces or charged colloids and subsequent dissolution of the cores is reviewed. The lipid self-assembles as a bilayer on the protein surface and the completed microcapsule serves as a biomimetic membrane model. The DMPA/HSA microcapsules have good biocompatibility and the potential for the insertion of recognition units in the lipid bilayers.

Future Trends 

However, there have been few attempts to use the biomimetic approach to actually produce a fuel from solar energy similar to what is done in photosynthetic organisms.With the increased molecular understanding of natural photosynthesis and H2 production strong bio-inspired chemistry is more and more feasible. The research along this line, that is carried out by the Consortium for Artificial Photosynthesis, is one the largest attempts currently going on in the world.

Keywords

Molecular biomimetics; Inorganic binding polypeptides; Display technologies; Immobilization; Heterofunctionality; Biofabrication

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