An Atomistic View on the Mechanism of Diatom Peptide-Guided Biomimetic Silica Formation.

ABSTRACT: Deciphering nature's remarkable way of encoding functions in its biominerals holds the potential to enable the rational development of nature-inspired materials with tailored properties. However, the complex processes that convert solution-state precursors into solid biomaterials remain largely unknown. In this study, an unconventional approach is presented to characterize these precursors for the diatom-derived peptides R5 and synthetic Silaffin-1A₁ (synSil-1A₁). These molecules can form defined supramolecular assemblies in solution, which act as templates for solid silica structures. Using a tailored structural biology toolbox, the structure-function relationships of these self-assemblies are unveiled. NMR-derived constraints are employed to enable a recently develo

SUBMITTER: Kozak F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11321707 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature