| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces Division | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session BI+AS+MI+SA-TuA |
| Session: | Bio from 2D to 3D: Challenges in Fabrication and Characterization & Flash Presentations |
| Presenter: | Christiane Ziegler, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany |
| Authors: | V. Rink, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany M. Braun, RLP Agroscience GmbH, Germany M. Ani, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany K. Boonrood, RLP Agroscience GmbH, Germany C. Müller-Renno, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany G. Krczal-Gehring, RLP Agroscience GmbH, Germany C. Ziegler, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Biohybrid materials consist of biological entities and artificial, often inorganic materials. These biohybrids may be used in many fields of applications, ranging from biosensors to implant materials. In this context, bottom-up approaches, in which small elementary building blocks of matter are used to form larger elements through self-assembly have gained a lot of interest.
Plant viruses are promising candidates for such building blocks. Because of their simple structure and pre-defined size and form they have a high potential for self-assembly. Furthermore they can be genetically manipulated to create new functionalities by extending the capsid with different side chains.
We could show that unspecific electrostatic interactions govern the formation of large ordered 2D structures of self-assembled icosahedral tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) particles. By adding amino acid side chains to the capsid subunit the isoelectric point of the virus is changed. Thus by the right combination of virus modification, substrate and pH (and as a minor effect ionic strength) one can control the dimensions of 2D virus islands which may form layers with macroscopic dimensions. Specific structures in these 2D layers may be introduced by substrates which are pre-structured, e.g. by nano imprint lithography.
In addition to the electrostatic control the amino acid side chains allow also more specific interactions. Examples are histidine side chains interacting with Ni ions or gold binding peptide side chains with Au. With these specific interactions, also the third dimension is accessible. This opens the possibility to play with viruses in a kind of nano Lego which will soon become reality.
In this contribution we will show a scanning force and scanning electron microscopy study of the self-assembly of 2D and 3D structures of TBSV on Si and mica surfaces. The three dimensional structure is based on a homogeneous layer consisting of virus-particles carrying additional 4xAsp6xHis side chains (lowest stack). For the following second stack the chemical selectivity of these side chains to Ni ions (here: Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) carrying a 5 nm Au nanoparticle was utilized. Au-binding virus-particles interact with these Au particles and create the third stack of this 3D virus architecture. The success of this strategy could be proven by SFM height measurements which reveal a height in the range of 66 nm, which corresponds to two layers of virus particles (30 nm each) coupled by Ni-NTA.
Lüders et al. (2012). Tomato bushy stunt viruses (TBSV) in nanotechnology investigated by scanning force and scanning electron microscopy. Colloids Surf. B91, 154