title: Controlled self-assembly of biomolecular rods on structured substrates.
abstract: We report on the evaporative self-assembly and orientational ordering of semi-flexible spherocylindrical M13 phages on asymmetric stranded webs of thin amorphous carbon films. Although the phages were dispersed with a low concentration in the isotropic phase, the substrate edges induced nematic ordering and bending of the phages. As revealed by transmission electron microscopy, phages were aligned parallel to the curved substrate edges. This two-dimensional self-assembly on structured substrates opens a new route to the design of structures of orientationally ordered semi-flexible biomacromolecules.
authors.affiliation: Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. p.moghimian@fkf.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Pouya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moghimian
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harnau
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Srot
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Peña
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farahmand Bafi
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Facey
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Aken
mesh_terms: D017104:Bacteriophage M13 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission