Programming and switching the morphology of polymeric nanoparticles with DNA, peptides and enzymes

School of Chemistry & Biochemistry Special Seminar

 Nanoscale particles capable of undergoing dramatic changes in morphology in response to stimuli are expected to have broad utility in a range of important applications including targeted drug delivery and detection strategies. To date, development of stimuli responsive systems of this type have focused on a range of triggers including pH, temperature, and to a lesser extent, the action of enzymes. Nanoparticles capable of undergoing reversible changes in morphology in a programmable manner remain relatively unexplored. The sequence selective recognition properties of DNA, and its performance as a selective substrate for enzymes make it ideal as an informational element in the synthesis of stimuli-responsive nanoscale particles. Herein, an approach to shape shifting soft polymeric materials is presented that unites the special encoding, and electrostatic properties of the DNA polymer as a construction tool and as an element in the logical manipulation of an artificial chemical system. In addition, we will describe peptide-based polymeric nanoparticle systems and their ability to undergo well-defined changes in structure and shape upon interactions with various enzymatic stimuli in complex biological environments.