Abstract
Nanobiotechnology involves the study of structures found in nature to construct nanodevices for biological and medical applications with the ultimate goal of commercialization. Within a cell most biochemical processes are driven by proteins and associated macromolecular complexes. Evolution has optimized these protein-based nanosystems within living organisms over millions of years. Among these are flagellin and pilin-based systems from bacteria, viral-based capsids, and eukaryotic microtubules and amyloids. While carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and protein/peptide-CNT composites, remain one of the most researched nanosystems due to their electrical and mechanical properties, there are many concerns regarding CNT toxicity and biodegradability. Therefore, proteins have emerged as useful biotemplates for nanomaterials due to their assembly under physiologically relevant conditions and ease of manipulation via protein engineering. This review aims to highlight some of the current research employing protein nanotubes (PNTs) for the development of molecular imaging biosensors, conducting wires for microelectronics, fuel cells, and drug delivery systems. The translational potential of PNTs is highlighted.
Highlights
The term bionanotechnology refers to the use of biological molecules engineered to form nanoscale building materials
It is no surprise that they were one of the first biological molecules to be implemented for nanotechnology [1,2,3,4]
G. sulfurreducens produce biofilms that exhibit high current densities—one of the β-sheet and connecting loops of the type IV pilins form the surface of the pilus, and arehighest exposed to the immune system
Summary
The term bionanotechnology refers to the use of biological molecules engineered to form nanoscale building materials. Two of these systems are found in bacteria, which produce fiber-like protein polymers allowing for the formation of extended flagella and pili These naturally occurring structures consist of repeating monomers forming helical filaments extending from the bacterial cell wall with roles in intra and inter-cellular signaling, energy production, growth, and motility [15]. Progress in our understanding of both protein structure and function making up natural nanosystems allows us to take advantage of their potential in the fields of bionanotechnology and nanomedicine Understanding how these systems self-assemble, how they can be modified through protein engineering, and exploring ways to produce nanotubes in vitro is of critical importance for the development of novel synthetic materials
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