Collaborative Research: Water-responsive, Shape-shifting Supramolecular Protein Assemblies

合作研究：水响应、变形超分子蛋白质组装体

• 批准号: 2304959
• 负责人: Xi Chen
• 金额: $ 17.31万
• 依托单位: Research Foundation CUNY - Advanced Science Research Center
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2304959&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Water; responsive; Shape

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, the collaborative team consisting of Professors Jin Montclare (New York University), Xi Chen (CUNY - Advanced Science Research Center), and Raymond Tu (CUNY – City College) aim to create shape-shifting protein assemblies capable of responding to changes in relative humidity. The research is inspired by phenomena observed in nature such as how pinecones and wheat are able to dispense their seeds. The team will develop protein polymers that mimic those found in nature, explore their water-responsive motion, and explore the mechanical power generated by the material. The work will investigate: 1) the role of structure in such protein polymers; 2) the effects of protein polymer composition on water-responsiveness; and 3) how the nature of the molecular assembly leads to changes in their water-responsiveness. The ultimate goal is to achieve an understanding that will allow the team to design new water responsive protein polymers assemblies that can efficiently convert motion into usable energy. This may lead to the development of high-power moving components for widespread applications such as robotics, shape-morphing and energy harvesting devices. This highly interdisciplinary research, involving protein engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, will provide training for graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. In collaborative outreach efforts, the team will hold an annual “Biomimetic Technology” event that includes local New York City K-12 students and teachers to interact with state-of-the-art science to promote interest in science and increase public understanding of macromolecular science and engineering concepts.Evaporation-induced shape change has proven to be an efficient mechanism for the conversion of energy from water’s chemical potential to mechanical energy. Owing to this property, water responsive (WR) materials can swell and shrink in response to relative humidity (RH) changes, and recent studies have shown that biological WR materials can generate significantly higher energy actuation than all known muscles and actuators. Here, the team will focus on creating shape-shifting protein engineered assemblies that fundamentally integrate nano-scaled structural features that can hierarchically assemble and lead to macroscale function of energy conversion from the chemical potential of water to mechanical motion. The team will investigate how supramolecular self-assembly and phase separation influence the WR properties of protein engineered block-copolypeptides (BCPs). To achieve this the team aims to investigate: 1) the role of structure in the engineered BCPs; 2) the effects of the surface blocks on BCP water-responsiveness; and 3) the effect of supramolecular structure with water-responsiveness. This fundamental understanding is expected to help the researchers develop a set of parameters to inform the design of biological WR actuators with high energy and power densities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在化学系中的大分子，超分子和纳米化学计划的支持下，由教授Jin Montclare（纽约大学），XI Chen（CUNY-高级科学研究中心）和Raymond Tu（CUNY - 城市学院）组成的合作团队，旨在创造出能力变形的蛋白质组装相对响应的效果，均具有相对响应的态度。这项研究的灵感来自于自然界观察到的现象，例如松果和小麦如何分配种子。该团队将开发蛋白质聚合物，以模仿自然界中发现的聚合物，探索其水反应性运动，并探索材料产生的机械功率。工作将研究：1）结构在这种蛋白质聚合物中的作用； 2）蛋白质聚合物组成对水反应性的影响； 3）分子组装的性质如何导致其水反应的变化。最终目标是实现一种理解，该理解将使团队能够设计新的水反应蛋白聚合物组件，以有效地将运动转化为可用的能量。这可能会导致开发用于宽度应用的高功率移动组件，例如机器人技术，形状变形和能量收集设备。这项涉及蛋白质工程，化学工程和材料科学的高度跨学科研究将为研究生，本科和高中生提供培训。在合作推广工作中，该团队将举办一年一度的“仿生技术”活动，其中包括纽约市当地的K-12学生和教师与最先进的科学互动，以促进对科学的兴趣，并提高公众对大分子科学和工程概念的了解。事实证明，脱水诱导的形状变化已被证明是能源从能量上的能源上的能量转化的有效机制，从而可以从水上的能源上进行机械的能量。由于这种特性，水反应（WR）材料会因相对湿度（RH）的变化而膨胀和收缩，并且最近的研究表明，生物WR材料可以产生比所有已知的肌肉和执行器的能量致动。在这里，团队将专注于创建形状转变的蛋白质工程组件，从根本上整合的纳米尺度结构特征，这些结构特征可以层次汇总组装并导致能量转换从水的化学潜力到机械运动的宏观函数。该团队将研究超分子的自组装和相位分离如何影响蛋白质工程块细胞激素（BCP）的特性。为了实现该团队的目的是调查：1）结构在工程BCP中的作用； 2）表面块对BCP水反应性的影响； 3）超分子结构对水反应性的影响。这种基本的理解有望帮助研究人员开发一组参数，以高能和功率密度的生物WR执行器的设计告知设计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评估标准通过评估而被视为珍贵的支持。