title: Silica-precipitating peptides isolated from a combinatorial phage display peptide library.
abstract: Many biological organisms contain specialized structures composed of inorganic materials. Cellular processes in vivo facilitate the organized assembly of mineral building blocks into complex structures. The structural hierarchy and complexity across a range of length scales are providing new ideas and concepts for materials chemistry. Proteins that direct biomineralization can be used to control the production of nanostructured materials and facilitate the fabrication of new structures. Here, we demonstrate that some of the silica-binding peptides isolated from a combinatorial phage peptide display library can be used in precipitating silica from a solution of silicic acid. The results described in this report demonstrate that peptides displayed by phages act as templates in inorganic material synthesis and provide a means of understanding how some of the biological systems may be carrying out materials chemistry in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 45433, USA.
authors.forename: Rajesh R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: Lawrence L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Brott
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clarson
authors.forename: Morley O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000379:methods*; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011485:Protein Binding; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; D012822:Silicon Dioxide