Biomaterials offer an appealing and sustainable alternative to common electrical materials due to their functional diversity and tunability. We study an incredibly modifiable class of biomaterials called peptide amphiphiles (PAs) that polymerize into fibers with a wide array of functions. Our group is working to develop a diverse set of oxidoreductase functionalities from these PAs including electrical conductivity and oxygen binding. PAs themselves are short peptides connected to a lipid tail that polymerize into ordered fibers at high pH. The ones we use have the ability to bind heme, the same redox active cofactor found in hemoglobin and other oxidoreductases, which brings many functional possibilities to our fibers. The first project in our group is tuning the electrochemical properties of heme such that the fibers can serve as a medium for long range electron transport, reproducing the function of the OmcS protein from <i>Geobacter sulfurreducens</i>. Unlike natural proteins, we can easily change the peptide sequence to impart new electrochemical properties to the heme thus developing a new technology as well as a model system to study natural proteins. We anticipate this technology will lead to next generation electronics that can be made more sustainably than Cu wiring. We are also developing an oxygen carrying material suitable for trauma patients. Through sequence modifications we are bringing the electrochemical properties of heme in our PAs in line with hemoglobin allowing us to bind oxygen stably. Our PA mixtures do not require incubators or sophisticated storage equipment making emergency medical care, and importantly ambulatory transport, more sustainable and efficient. We believe this oxygen-binding technology will make alleviate the need for blood donations and improve medical treatment worldwide.

Developing novel oxidoreductase functions in peptide amphiphile assemblies

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.