Materials chemistry challenges in the design of hybrid bionanodevices: supporting protein function within artificial environments

Abstract

Current efforts in bionanotechnology research often utilize the biomolecular function of a protein for technical applications. Maintaining the function of the incorporated biological component in its new environment remains one of the challenges in the construction of hybrid bionanodevices. Using a biological transport system consisting of kinesin motor proteins and microtubules as a prominent example, we discuss different design strategies for such hybrid bionanodevices. The focus lies on the complex interactions between proteins and synthetic surfaces and on different approaches to predict, control, and manipulate protein binding at a surface while maintaining the function of the protein.