Fabrication of hierarchical hybrid structures using bio-enabled layer-by-layer self-assembly

Area of Science:

• Nanobiotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Fabricating functional hybrid nanomaterials with controlled hierarchical and spatial organization is crucial for nanobiotechnology.
• Existing methods often lack versatility and flexibility in creating complex nanostructures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a bio-enabled self-assembly technique for fabricating multi-layered protein and nanometallic assemblies.
• To utilize a modular gold-binding (AuBP1) fusion tag for directed molecular organization.

Main Methods:

• Genetically fused the AuBP1 peptide sequence to maltose-binding protein (MBP) to create MBP-AuBP1 constructs.
• Employed spectroscopic techniques, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to characterize binding and assembly.
• Combined soft-lithography and self-assembly with the AuBP1 tag for controlled patterning.

Main Results:

• Verified exceptional binding and self-assembly characteristics of the AuBP1 peptide.
• Demonstrated AuBP1's ability to direct recombinant MBP protein organization on gold surfaces.
• Produced spatially and hierarchically controlled protein multi-layered assemblies on gold nanoparticle arrays with high molecular packing density.

Conclusions:

• The AuBP1 peptide tag enables efficient control of the organic-inorganic interface for bottom-up assembly.
• This model system provides layer-by-layer assembly capability for biofabrication of protein arrays and plasmon-active nanometallic devices.
• The technique offers novel biological routes for creating nanobiotechnology applications with controlled architecture.