2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Origin of Enzymes: Function and Structure of Hyperbranched Polymers
| Project/Area Number |
17K01943
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
ママジャノフ イリーナ 東京工業大学, 地球生命研究所, 特任教授 (80776261)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | hyperbranched polymer / polyester / wet-dry cycle / smart material / protoenzyme |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
During the last year, I have finished and published the study focus on the delay of the onset of gelation of hyperbranched polyesters when subjected to wet-dry cycle. This result is significant and exciting since it allows for a simple mechanism of controlling the chain length and the architecture of hyperbranched polymers to allow further studies of protoenzymes.
Furthermore, I have finished the study that focused on the protoenzymatic function of metal-sulfide nanoparticles supported by hyperbranched polyester and polyethyleneimine. The results show supported ZnS nanopatricles that do not aggregate for a period of 2 weeks. This is significant since ZnS nanoparticles prepared without the polymeric scaffolds aggregate almost instantaneously. The supported ZnS nanoparticles show excellent photocatalytic activity in a dye photodegradation assay. The manuscript is currently under review.
The work on the synthesis of non-random peptides through ester-amide exchange of hyperbranched polyesters has shown a clear indication of preferential incorporation of small amino acids vs. large amino acids. This work has become basis of a successful Masters thesis. Few additional experiments needed to prepare the study for the publication.
During work on the ester-amide exchange project, we have discovered a facile way of synthesizing polyamides, very close in structure to polypeptides at benign conditions. The manuscript is currently under preparation.
The work funded by Kiban C was a subject of my invited talk at Goldschmidt 2019 and a keynote at LPI Habitability conference.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The work throughout the project has progressed rather smoothly. We have not finished the ester-amide project as proposed, but we have identified two other promising related projects that have been completed during the 3-year period.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Future work will be subject to continued support by Kakenhi program.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The amount transferred to this fiscal year will be used for open access publication fees. Peer review duration is many times unpredictable. Even though our paper was submitted in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the journal was not able to get back to us within the 2019-2020 fiscal year. We had no choice, but to request some reserve funds to be transferred to 2020-2021 fiscal year.
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