This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this award is to elucidate important self-assembly mechanisms and peptide molecular interactions in nature that could be easily exploited to make high performance materials. These materials could have properties meeting or exceeding keratin, silk, or collagen, which have a unique combination of rigidity, toughness, low density, and biocompatibility that is difficult to match synthetically. The research will result in a model of peptide performance based on morphology and will describe how nature utilizes many weak interactions rather than a few strong ones to build high performance materials. Outcomes include a fundamental thermodynamic model relating peptide performance to morphology, property measurement of peptides and enhancement of methods to obtain those properties, training and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate engineering students, and high school science lessons that meet current standards of learning developed through collaborations with science teachers.
If successful, the research results will allow for the design of high performance biomimetic materials from sustainable sources that are abundant and inexpensive. The spectrum of applications for these materials ranges from biodegradable plastics to highly texturized foods to materials that can be implanted into the human body. Dissemination of results would allow for a simple paradigm of bio-based, non-petroleum materials that could be processed in low energy ways similar to the processes nature employs. This paradigm could be used by the chemicals and materials industries. High school, undergraduate, and graduate students will receive personal mentoring and hands-on experiences in emerging engineering disciplines related to biotechnology. High school teachers will have the opportunity to develop laboratories and curricula on the latest bio-based technologies to stimulate student interest in topics of current relevance.
