A synthetic nanomaterial for virus recognition produced by surface imprinting

Abstract

Major stumbling blocks in the production of fully synthetic materials designed to feature virus recognition properties are that the target is large and its self-assembled architecture is fragile. Here we describe a synthetic strategy to produce organic/inorganic nanoparticulate hybrids that recognize non-enveloped icosahedral viruses in water at concentrations down to the picomolar range. We demonstrate that these systems bind a virus that, in turn, acts as a template during the nanomaterial synthesis. These virus imprinted particles then display remarkable selectivity and affinity. The reported method, which is based on surface imprinting using silica nanoparticles that act as a carrier material and organosilanes serving as biomimetic building blocks, goes beyond simple shape imprinting. We demonstrate the formation of a chemical imprint, comparable to the formation of biosilica, due to the template effect of the virion surface on the synthesis of the recognition material.

Polymer Directed Protein Assemblies

“…For the incorporation one can use electrostatic interactions to coordinate the protein structure but it can also first be confined to a surface covalently after which a layer can be built in between the surface bound proteins, upon removal a void in the shape of the protein is formed [79]. The surface binding approach has recently been used to actively scavenge virus particles from solution [80]. This has a very clear application and could potentially be used in vivo to bind viral entities and excrete the fully bound structure from the body and thus aid in the struggle against viral infections.…”

A fluorescent turn-on detection scheme for α-fetoprotein using quantum dots placed in a boronate-modified molecularly imprinted polymer with high affinity for glycoproteins

“…As shown in Fig. 1, the surface of the QDs was modified with amino propyls that leave enough silanol groups for further surface-initiated poly-condensation to inhibit QDs leakage during the imprinting process [28]. Typically for the protein imprinting, functional monomers including acrylic acid derivatives, siloxane derivatives, and electropolymerizable monomers have been extensively used [29].…”

Molecular imprinted photonic crystal for sensing of biomolecules

“…Molecular imprinting has proven to be particularly successful for small molecules. Recent years, much attention has been paid to the imprinting of biomolecules such as proteins [54][55], DNA [56], and even whole cells [57] and viruses [58][59] for its potential applications in biomaterials separation, purification, biosensor, and mimicking enzyme and antibody [60]. Rossetti et al synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) targeting the proteotypic peptide of ProGRP by surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.…”