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Published on: March 10, 2023
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Phage Display Screening as a Rational Approach to Design Additives for Selective Crystallization Control in
Benjamin Madeja1, Patrick Wilke2, Eduard Schreiner3
1Physical Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstr. 10, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|March 2, 2023
Summary
Bioinspired phage display identified a DYH amino acid motif that selectively controls gypsum crystallization. This discovery enables the development of advanced cement additives for improved construction materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Mineralogy
Background:
- Controlling crystallization in reactive systems is crucial for materials development.
- Traditional methods for finding additives are often inefficient and limited in scope.
- Bioinspired approaches offer a rational strategy for discovering novel functional molecules.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific molecular motifs that interact with crystalline gypsum surfaces.
- To develop selective crystallization additives for cement hydration processes.
- To translate peptide-based discoveries into scalable synthetic copolymers.
Main Methods:
- Phage display screening to identify surface-binding peptides.
- Next-generation sequencing for analyzing enriched phage populations.
- Testing peptide and copolymer performance in cement hydration.
Main Results:
- A DYH amino acid triplet was identified as a key motif for gypsum adsorption.
- Oligopeptides containing DYH selectively retarded cement sulfate reactions (initial setting) without affecting silicate reactions (hardening).
- The additive properties were successfully transferred from peptides to synthetic copolymers.
Conclusions:
- Phage display is an effective tool for discovering functional crystallization additives.
- The DYH motif offers a pathway for developing advanced cement additives.
- Biotechnological methods can accelerate materials science innovation.
