Letter abstract


Nature Nanotechnology 2, 220 - 225 (2007)
Published online: 18 March 2007 | doi:10.1038/nnano.2007.63

Subject Categories: Nanobiotechnology | Surface patterning and imaging

Native protein nanolithography that can write, read and erase

Ali Tinazli1, Jacob Piehler1, Mirjam Beuttler2, Reinhard Guckenberger2 & Robert Tampé1


The development of systematic approaches to explore protein–protein interactions and dynamic protein networks is at the forefront of biological sciences. Nanopatterned protein arrays offer significant advantages for sensing applications, including short diffusion times, parallel detection of multiple targets and the requirement for only tiny amounts of sample1, 2, 3. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) based techniques have successfully demonstrated patterning of molecules, including stable proteins, with submicrometre resolution4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Here, we introduce native protein nanolithography for the nanostructured assembly of even fragile proteins or multiprotein complexes under native conditions. Immobilized proteins are detached by a novel vibrational AFM mode (contact oscillation mode) and replaced by other proteins, which are selectively self-assembled from the bulk. This nanolithography permits rapid writing, reading and erasing of protein arrays in a versatile manner. Functional protein complexes may be assembled with uniform orientation at dimensions down to 50 nm. Such fabrication of two-dimensionally arranged nano-objects with biological activity will prove powerful for proteome-wide interaction screens and single molecule/virus/cell analyses.

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  1. Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
  2. Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany

Correspondence to: Robert Tampé1 e-mail: tampe@em.uni-frankfurt.de

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