Selective adsorption of surface-modified ferritin on a phase-separated polymer blend

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Ferritin, a protein cage, has potential applications in nanotechnology and biomaterials.
• Understanding protein-surface interactions is crucial for controlling ferritin's behavior.
• Surface modification can tune protein adsorption properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the adsorption of wild and surface-modified ferritin on a polymer blend.
• To investigate the effect of alkylation on ferritin's interaction with poly(desaminotyrosyl tyrosine dodecyl ester carbonate) (PDTD) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL).

Main Methods:

• Wild ferritin was surface-modified via alkylation using carbodiimide chemistry.
• Adsorption experiments were conducted on thin films of PDTD/PCL blend in deionized water.
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to visualize ferritin adsorption patterns.

Main Results:

• Alkylated ferritin demonstrated selective adsorption onto the poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) phase.
• Wild ferritin predominantly adsorbed onto the poly(desaminotyrosyl tyrosine dodecyl ester carbonate) (PDTD) phase.
• Surface modification significantly altered ferritin's preferential binding.

Conclusions:

• Surface chemistry of ferritin dictates its selective adsorption on polymer blends.
• Electrostatic interactions are key to the observed differences in adsorption behavior.
• Tailoring ferritin surface properties offers a route to control its assembly on materials.