Building New Materials from Synthetically Modified Proteins

Matthew Francis, PhD, Rising star of nanotech at UC-Berkeley 10:15-10:45am
Building New Materials from Synthetically Modified Proteins

Protein desirable properties –

Rigid three dimensional structures for object positioning
self assembled capabiliities to establish order over large lengths
dynamic shape changes in response to external stimuli
analyte binding with high specificity

Lab working on site selective chemical reaction

chromophores, catalysts, radiolabels etc….

Viral Capsid based materials for imaging and drug delivery

viral protein monomers (180 copies) self assemble to e.coli

icosahedral viral capid ==> internal cargo attachment, external targeting group attachment ==> multivalent delivery vehicle (outside modified)

Genome free MS2 viral capsids (about 27 nm in diameter)

Complex bioconjugation target: bacteriophage MS2

Solved genome and solved crystal structure (3500 nucleotides)

Can attach to two different types of sites each with 180 sites (tyrosine 85 with diazonium salts on the inside.

MRU contrast enhancement
can use xenon atos
drug delivery (120 copies of taxol -cancer drug)

Targeting leukemia cells with Photodynamic therapy

created a new amino acid
targeting moleculars
aptamers
porphyrins

Can kill cancer cells around 100 nanometer radius activated by light.
Killed 80% of leukemia cells and did not kill 90% of red blood cells.

A modular system to use different targeting molecules and different treatment drugs

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