Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Self-assembling icosahedral protein designed: Self-assembling icosahedral protein designed

Via genetic fusion, 120 copies of a fluorescent protein were added to a computer-designed icosahedral nano-cage.
CREDIT: University of Washington Institute for Protein Design
Via genetic fusion, 120 copies of a fluorescent protein were added to a computer-designed icosahedral nano-cage.

CREDIT: University of Washington Institute for Protein Design

Abstract:
The same 20-sided solid that was morphed into geodesic domes in the past century may be the shape of things to come in synthetic biology.

Self-assembling icosahedral protein designed: Self-assembling icosahedral protein designed

Seattle, WA | Posted on June 22nd, 2016

For University of Washington Institute of Protein Design scientists working to invent molecular tools, vehicles, and devices for medicine and other fields, the icosahedron's geometry is inspiring. Its bird cage-like symmetry and spacious interior suggest cargo-containing possibilities.

The protein designers took their cue from the many viruses that, en route to living cells, transport their genomes inside protective icosahedral protein shells.

These delivery packages, termed viral capsids, are formed to be tough enough to withstand the trip, efficiently use storage room, and break apart to release their contents when conditions are right.

The researchers' paper in the scientific journal Nature reports on their computational design and experimental testing of a highly stable icosahedral protein nano-cage.

Engineered at the atomic level, this nano-cage can construct itself from biochemical building blocks and information encoded in strands of DNA.

After selecting the design for this icosahedral nano-cage through computer modeling, the researchers produced it in bacteria. Electron microscopy of the resulting icosahedral particles confirmed that they were nearly identical to the design model.

The leads on the project were Yang Hsia, a University of Washington graduate student in biological physics, structure and design, and Jacob B. Bale, a recent graduate from the UW molecular and cellular biology Ph.D. program, and now a research scientist at Arzeda Corporation in Seattle.

The senior authors were Neil P. King, translational investigator at the UW Institute for Protein Design, and David Baker, director of the Institute and UW professor of biochemistry. Baker is also an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

"The ability to design proteins that self-assemble into precisely specified, robust, and highly order icosahedral structures," the researchers wrote, "would open the door to a new generation of protein containers with properties custom-made for applications of interest."

Among these applications might be fabricating nanoscale icosahedral vehicles. Such research might create tiny, spacecraft-like devices that could encapsulate and deliver therapies directly to specific types of cells, such as cancer cells.

The designed icosahedron, while sturdy, proved to disassemble and reassemble itself under certain environmental conditions. This reversible property is essential if it eventually becomes part of packaging, carrying and delivering a biochemical payload.

In addition, the flexibility to modify these miniature cages, the researchers said, "should have considerable utility for targeted drug delivery, vaccine design and synthetic biology."

The newly designed icosahedron has considerably larger internal volume than previously designed nano-cages of other shapes, and so could hold more cargo as molecular shipping containers.

Working towards that end, the researchers were able to design barriers for the center of each of the twenty faces of the icosahedron. These could block molecules from entering and leaving the cage. In future iterations, gated cages might be filled to carry a medication into particular kinds of cell and then discharge it.

Moreover, the protein building blocks making up the cage retain their natural enzymatic activity, which is the ability to speed up chemical reactions. This suggests the possibility of nano-reactors custom-designed to catalyze specific biochemical processes.

The nano-cages were, in addition, amenable to genetic fusions to enhance their properties. For example, the researchers created standard candles for light microscopy by adding a fluorescent protein to each of the 60 subunits that frame the icosahedron. The fluorescent intensity was proportional to the number of these proteins attached to each subunit. The distinctive shape of the icosahedron makes it a readily spotted marker.

###

This project was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the JRC Visitor Program, the National Science Foundation, a University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute Pilot Award from the National Cancer Institute, the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and a Public Health Services National Research Services Award.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Leila Gray

206-685-0381

Copyright © University of Washington

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

RELATED JOURNAL ARTICLE:

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Synthetic Biology

Rice University launches Rice Synthetic Biology Institute to improve lives January 12th, 2024

Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology launched by Allen Institute, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the University of Washington will turn cells into recording devices to unlock secrets of disease: First-of-its-kind research initiative will develop technologies to reveal how changes i December 8th, 2023

The medicine of the future could be artificial life forms October 6th, 2023

Cancer

University of Toronto researchers discover new lipid nanoparticle that shows muscle-specific mRNA delivery, reduces off-target effects: Study findings make significant contribution to generating tissue-specific ionizable lipids and prompts rethinking of mRNA vaccine design princi December 8th, 2023

Super-efficient laser light-induced detection of cancer cell-derived nanoparticles: Skipping ultracentrifugation, detection time reduced from hours to minutes! October 6th, 2023

The medicine of the future could be artificial life forms October 6th, 2023

Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Self Assembly

Liquid crystal templated chiral nanomaterials October 14th, 2022

Nanoclusters self-organize into centimeter-scale hierarchical assemblies April 22nd, 2022

Atom by atom: building precise smaller nanoparticles with templates March 4th, 2022

Nanostructures get complex with electron equivalents: Nanoparticles of two different sizes break away from symmetrical designs January 14th, 2022

Nanomedicine

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records

Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries: University of Liverpool researchers have discovered a new solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions February 16th, 2024

$900,000 awarded to optimize graphene energy harvesting devices: The WoodNext Foundation's commitment to U of A physicist Paul Thibado will be used to develop sensor systems compatible with six different power sources January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024

Nanobiotechnology

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project