Abstract
Bioactive core–shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) offer the unique ability for protein/enzyme functionality in non-native environments. For many decades, researchers have sought to develop synthetic materials which mimic the efficiency and catalytic power of bioactive macromolecules such as enzymes and proteins. This research studies a self-assembly method in which functionalized, polymer-core/protein-shell nanoparticles are prepared in mild conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques were utilized to analyze the size and distribution of the CSNPs. The methods outlined in this research demonstrate a mild, green chemistry synthesis route for CSNPs which are highly tunable and allow for enzyme/protein functionality in non-native conditions.
Highlights
Biomolecules such as proteins and enzymes possess many unique features, the speed and efficiency of which are difficult to match by synthetic materials
We employed a 300 kDa molecular unbonded green fluorescent protein (GFP) ensures that the only remaining protein in the solution is assembled with the polymer, weight cut-off dialysis device to allow for any unbonded 26.9 kDa GFP to diffuse out of the reaction which is crucial for accurate protein activity testing
Fluorescence spectra of a GFP solution initially after 24 hours of dialysis, and again after 48 hours of ensures that the only remaining protein in the solution is assembled with the polymer, which is crucial dialysis
Summary
Biomolecules such as proteins and enzymes possess many unique features, the speed and efficiency of which are difficult to match by synthetic materials. Recent research has outlined an entropically driven assembly process utilizing hydrophobicity effects, similar to Pickering emulsions [23,28,29,30] These interactions, along with hydrogen bonding between the polymer–protein, have been shown to result in the formation of stabilized polymer–protein CSNPs without the loss of bioactivity [23,31]. Known for its vibrant fluorescent properties, has applications tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF), ethanol), the assembly occurs in a as a biosensor, and of gene expression tool solvent. The solution which isphysiological roughly a 3:1indicator, volume ratio aqueous to organic formation of the will becorona the polymer core, nitrogenthe atom in the process pyridine group serves as an protein-based stabilizes the because polymer the throughout assembly and during dialysis in efficient hydrogen-bonding acceptor [39,40]. The initial co-assembly process Figure 1) is driven by the highly
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