title: Biomimetic mineralization of metal-organic frameworks as protective coatings for biomacromolecules.
abstract: Enhancing the robustness of functional biomacromolecules is a critical challenge in biotechnology, which if addressed would enhance their use in pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and biostorage. Here we report a novel method, inspired by natural biomineralization processes, which provides unprecedented protection of biomacromolecules by encapsulating them within a class of porous materials termed metal-organic frameworks. We show that proteins, enzymes and DNA rapidly induce the formation of protective metal-organic framework coatings under physiological conditions by concentrating the framework building blocks and facilitating crystallization around the biomacromolecules. The resulting biocomposite is stable under conditions that would normally decompose many biological macromolecules. For example, urease and horseradish peroxidase protected within a metal-organic framework shell are found to retain bioactivity after being treated at 80 °C and boiled in dimethylformamide (153 °C), respectively. This rapid, low-cost biomimetic mineralization process gives rise to new possibilities for the exploitation of biomacromolecules.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricco
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Cara M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Styles
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.affiliation: Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mudie
authors.affiliation: 1] CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia [2] The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haylock
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Anita J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Doonan
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falcaro
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011506:Proteins; D015032:Zinc; C032655:2-methylimidazole