Complementary biomolecular coassemblies direct energy transport for cardiac photostimulators

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Cellular Physiology

Background:

• Charge and energy transport are vital for excitable cells and tissues.
• Current methods for controlling cellular transport rely on genetic modification to induce light sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce peptidic nanoassemblies as a novel cardiac biomaterial platform.
• To investigate photoinduced energy transport at the cellular interface using molecularly designed peptide nanostructures.
• To demonstrate light-induced cellular responses without genetic modification.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of peptidic nanoassemblies with complementary sequences for directed energy transport.
• Photophysical characterizations and conductivity measurements to assess energy/charge transfer and photocurrent generation.
• Interfacing cardiomyocytes with stabilized films of optoelectronic nanostructures.

Main Results:

• Confirmed energy/charge transfer and photocurrent generation in peptidic nanoassemblies upon optical excitation.
• Demonstrated that charge-complementary peptide designs yield more significant photocurrent behavior compared to donor-acceptor coassemblies.
• Observed material-stimulated genotypic, structural, and functional cardiac features in cardiomyocytes interfaced with the biomaterial.

Conclusions:

• Introduced an optoelectronic cardiac biomaterial utilizing molecularly designed peptide nanostructures.
• Successfully induced light sensitivity in excitable cells without gene modification.
• Showcased the influence of the biomaterial on in vitro cardiac contractile behavior and cardiac marker expression.