Hierarchical Assembly of Peptide Materials

With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Dr. Jean Chmielewski of Purdue University will conduct research building unique structures on a nanoscale using peptide building blocks. In order to achieve the selectivity and diversity of structure required for critical biological functions, Nature uses specific structural groups that allow for the assembly of nanoscale building blocks into more complex structures. To gain an enhanced understanding of this assembly process, Dr. Chmielewski will study how the size and shape of the resulting structures is controlled by the surface that the peptide building blocks are built on at a molecular level. These nanostructures will provide new materials for a range of applications, including nano-batteries and self-healing materials. Through this multifaceted project, Dr. Chmielewski will train both graduate and undergraduate chemistry students at Purdue University, in an effort to develop the next generation of scientists to tackle the technological challenges of the 21st century. The Chmielewski lab seeks to fully explore the interplay between molecular level features of peptide-surface interactions, and how these will inform the higher order assembly of peptide building blocks, and the chemical modification and peptide ligation chemistry on these surfaces. The intellectual merit of the proposed studies is to expand our understanding of the mechanisms of association between the surfaces of coiled coil peptide materials and other structures such as peptide oligomers, proteins, nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes. Improving upon our fundamental understanding of the supramolecular assembly of peptide nanomaterials and their interactions with other materials would have a broad impact on several applications, from device fabrication to self-healing materials. Ultimately, the results obtained from these proposed experiments will provide crucial information for a range of applications in biotechnology, including device fabrication, sensors, enzyme arrays, photonic barcodes and self-healing materials. 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.