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Folding Funnels Key to Biomimicry

By Guest PostNovember 9, 2012Scienceafm, archaea, array, atomic force microscopy, babak sanii, bacteria, berkeley lab, biomimicry, biomolecular nanomachines, bones, carolyn bertozzi, cell, collagen matrices, collagen monomers, concept, fabrication, folding funnel, free energy, function, humans, jim deyoreo, key, kinetic traps, luis comolli, mica surface, molecular foundry, molecule level, molecules, multiple proteins, nanoscale synthesis, Nature, ordered structure, organic scaffolds, properties, protein folding, protein structure, proteins, pseudohexagonal symmetry, s layer, self assemble, seong ho shin, sungwook chung, surface layer, teeth

Berkeley Lab Finding that Protein Folding Funnels Also Apply to Self-Assembly Should Benefit Biomimicry and Nanosynthesis

Proteins are able to self-assemble into a wide range of highly ordered structures that feature a diverse array of properties. Through biomimicry – technological innovation inspired by nature – humans hope to emulate proteins and produce our own version of self-assembling molecules. A key to accomplishing this is understanding how protein-folding – a process critical to the form and function of a protein – is extended from individual proteins to complex assemblies.

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have now shown that a concept widely accepted as describing the folding of a single individual protein is also applicable to the self-assembly of multiple proteins. Their findings provide important guidelines for future biomimicry efforts, particularly for device fabrication and nanoscale synthesis. (more…)

Shaken, not Stirred: Berkeley Lab Scientists Spy Molecular Maneuvers

Stir this clear liquid in a glass vial and nothing happens. Shake this liquid, and free-floating sheets of protein-like structures emerge, ready to detect molecules or catalyze a reaction. This isn’t the latest gadget from James Bond’s arsenal—rather, the latest research from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientists unveiling how slim sheets of protein-like structures self-assemble. This “shaken, not stirred” mechanism provides a way to scale up production of these two-dimensional nanosheets for a wide range of applications, such as platforms for sensing, filtration and templating growth of other nanostructures.

“Our findings tell us how to engineer two-dimensional, biomimetic materials with atomic precision in water,” said Ron Zuckermann, Director of the Biological Nanostructures Facility at the Molecular Foundry, a DOE nanoscience user facility at Berkeley Lab. “What’s more, we can produce these materials for specific applications, such as a platform for sensing molecules or a membrane for filtration.” (more…)

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Folding Funnels Key to Biomimicry

Shaken, not Stirred: Berkeley Lab Scientists Spy Molecular Maneuvers