SGER: Controlled Self-Assembly of a Nanotriangle

Tufts University, Medford MA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract CTS-0124784 Edward Goldberg, Tufts University It is proposed to build nanostructures by controlled self-assembly: they would be made of unit protein rods (approximately 50nm long rods) which would be organized in the shape of equilateral triangles, the sides of which would be made of complimentary binding pairs. Assembly of these triangles will be carried out by stages in a third dimension, with the desired order and growth. In this manner, the "bottom up" parallel manufacture of nanoarrays will become a practical possibility. A sequential assembly of three binding pairs is used. There are three major challenges: addressing the relevant binding pairs; positioning them in proper spacing and identifying the staging procedure for each new desired nanostructure. The complexity of these tasks, for any truly desirable assembly of nanostructures, demands a large number of steps (design and produce modular unit rods, associate one of the rods to a matrix and assemble the unit rods in a programmatic generation of triangles).