Peptide nanostructures encapsulating A foreign material and method of manufacturing same

• US 20090121709A1
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Original Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University)
• Inventors: Reches, Meital, Gazit, Ehud
• Granted Patent: US 8,017,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.130
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6925 the form being a microcapsule, nanocapsule, microbubble or nanobubble
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0092 Hollow drug-filled fibres, tubes of the core-shell type, coated fibres, coated rods, microtubules or nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 5/06078 and aromatic or cycloaliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/82 controllable by variation of the magnetic field applied to the device

Abstract

A composition comprising a material at least partially enclosed by a tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of the plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of the 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

Claims

1. A method of encapsulating material in a nanostructure, the method comprising:

(a) providing a discrete nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid, the discrete nanostructure having an internal cavity; and

(b) introducing the material into said internal cavity of the discrete nanostructure, thereby encapsulating the material in the tubular or spherical nanostructure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said discrete nanostructure is a discrete tubular nanostructure or a discrete spherical nanostructure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said discrete nanostructure does not exceed 500 nm in diameter.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said discrete tubular nanostructure is at least 1 nm in length.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said 4 amino acids comprise a D-amino acid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said 4 amino acids comprise an L-amino acid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said discrete nanostructure is stable at a temperature range of 4-200°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said discrete nanostructure is stable in an acidic environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the discrete nanostructure is stable in a basic environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of peptides is an aromatic dipeptide

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of aromatic dipeptides is an aromatic homodipeptide.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said aromatic homodipeptide is Phe-Phe.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said aromatic amino acid is a synthetic amino acid selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl and substituted or unsubstituted phenyl.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said substituted phenyl is selected from the group consisting of pentafluoro phenyl, iodophenyl, biphenyl and nitrophenyl.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said homodipeptide is selected from the group consisting of naphthylalanine-naphthylalanine dipeptide, (pentafluoro-phenylalanine)-(pentafluoro-phenylalanine) dipeptide, (iodo-phenylalanine)-(iodo-phenylalanine) dipeptide, (4-phenyl phenylalanine)-(4-phenyl phenylalanine) dipeptide and (p-nitro-phenylalanine)-(p-nitro-phenylalanine) dipeptide.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said material is in a gaseous state.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said material is in a condensed state.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of a conducting material, a semiconducting material, a thermoelectric material, a magnetic material, a light-emitting material, a mineral, a polymer and an organic material.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said conducting material is selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, platinum, nickel and palladium.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said discrete nanostructure is obtained under non-saturation conditions which favor formation of the discrete nanostructure.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said non-saturation conditions comprise dissolving the peptides in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol at a concentration of 100 mg/ml and subsequent dilution in water to a final concentration of 2 mg/ml.

2. A method of encapsulating material in a nanostructure, the method comprising assembling a discrete nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid in the presence of the material, there by encapsulating the material in the nanostructure.

23. A composition comprising a material at least partially enclosed by a tubular, spherical or planar nanostructure composed of polyaromatic peptides.

24. The composition of claim 23, wherein said polyaromatic peptides are selected from the group consisting of polyphenylalanine peptides, polytriptophane peptides, polytyrosine peptides, non-natural derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

25. A composition comprising a material at least partially enclosed by a discrete tubular or discrete spherical nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

26. A method of positioning a target molecule at a predetermined location, the method comprising:

(a) providing a magnetic nanowire having at least one segment associated with a functional group or ligand, said functional group or ligand being capable of binding to the target molecule;

(b) binding said magnetic nanowire to the target molecule; and

(c) exposing said magnetic nanowire to a magnetic field, so as to position said magnetic nanowire and the target molecule at the predetermined location;

wherein said nanowire is formed of a magnetic material at least partially enclosed by a nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said magnetic material is a ferromagnetic material.

28. A device for detecting a position and/or movement of an object, the device comprising a plurality of non-intersecting nanowires, each being connected to an electronic circuitry, such that when the object contacts at least one nanowire of said plurality of non-intersecting nanowires, said at least one nanowire intersects with at least one additional nanowire of said plurality of non-intersecting nanowires, thereby allowing said electronic circuitry to generate a signal representative of the position and/or movement of an object;

wherein each of said plurality of nanowires is formed of a conducting or magnetic material at least partially enclosed by a nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein said magnetic material is a ferromagnetic material.

30. A thermoelectric device, comprising a first heat conducting layer and a second heat conducting layer, said first and said second heat conducting layers being interposed by a plurality of nanowires, such that when current flows through said plurality of nanowires, heat is transferred out of said first heat conducting layer and is dissipated through said second heat conducting layer;

wherein each of said plurality of nanowires is formed of a thermoelectric material at least partially enclosed by a nanostructure composed of a plurality of peptides, wherein each of said plurality of peptides includes no more than 4 amino acids and whereas at least one of said 4 amino acids is an aromatic amino acid.

31. A thermoelectric system having an arrangement of the thermoelectric devices of claim 30.