Intellectual Merit: The objective of this project is to use a filamentous virus called phage to identify and display peptides that can specifically bind to the inner wall of a microtubule (a protein nanotube) along the length direction and to template the nucleation and elongation of the microtubule that can serve as a nano-track for the kinesin (a motor protein) nano-transporter. This project is the first example of using a virus as a template to assemble biological nanomachines for the fabrication of novel multi-functional nanostructures. The work will result in a virus-in-microtubule nanostructure. This novel nanostructure is based on the virus that can genetically display target-binding peptides at two distal ends, making it possible to position the nanostructure in between two "stations" for controlled alignment of microtubules. At the same time, the microtubule encasing the virus serves as a nano-track for kinesin carrying a cargo to move in the direction defined by the virus alignment.
Broader Impacts. This project represents a novel nanofabrication concept, that is, employing biological macromolecules (viruses and proteins) as sources of molecular recognition and mechanic motion to build and assemble biomimetic nanodevices. The resulting nanodevices can transport cargoes in a precise direction as well as with a precise starting and target position. This project can also provide insight about the manipulation of microtubules as well as the complex mechanisms of microtubule nucleation, mitotic spindle organization and positioning in living cells. Thus, it has implications for studies of microtubule function within human cells that is closely related to human diseases such as cancer. The educational activities include an interdisciplinary bionanotechnology curriculum devlopement, community college and high school student involvement, Oklahoma Native American student involvement and dissemination of the results statewide in Oklahoma to increase the public awareness of bionanotechnology.
