Era-Chemistry_Artificial receptors based on surface imprinted electrosynthesized polymer nanostructures for protein sensing

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Frieder W. Scheller
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 270147511

Selective molecular recognition of peptides, proteins and glycoproteins is a prerequisite in various processes in biotechnology,medical diagnostics (bioassays, biosensors) with incipient applications in drug discovery. Molecular imprinting of polymersemerged as one of the most promising universal concepts to generate fully synthetic selective sorbents. While very successful in generating molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for low-molecular-weight compounds, the extrapolation of conventional molecular imprinting methods to biomacromolecules proved to be very challenging. The main goal of this collaborative project is to explore new routes to generate surface-imprinted, water-compatible polymeric nanostructures with high affinity towards proteins and glycoproteins as well as the fundamental understanding of the processes governing the selectivity of such MIPs. To ensure the success of surface imprinting in terms of high affinities and selectivities the research plan involves the following specific aims: 1. implementation of novel innovative strategies for surface imprinting such as electrospotting, nanosphere imprinting, and electropolymerization around vectorially oriented templates to provide polymeric nanostructures with high specific surface area, 2. establishment of an utmost control over the polymerization process through electrosynthesis, 3. implementation ofa wide range of water soluble electroactive monomers carrying complementary functional groups able to cover the range ofinteractions essential to selective recognition, 4. use of multilayered films to protect non-imprinted surfaces from nonspecific adsorption, 5. development of high-throughput testing methodologies to assess the binding kinetics of MIPs by in-situ synthesis of surface imprinted polymers on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) chips. Overall the research plan involves a broad range of methodologies, materials and representative macromolecular model templates, such acetylcholinesterase, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), ferritin and transferrin, as well as hIgG-Fab and hIgG-Fc region, to explore the potential of surface imprinting to generate high affinity artificial receptors for biomacromolecules.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Hungary
• Partner Organisation: OTKA Hungarian Scientific Research Fund
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Róbert Ervin Gyurcsányi