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Special Report

Toward Peptide-Based Bioelectronics: Reductionist Design of Conductive Pili Mimetics

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Pages 131-137 | Received 23 Jan 2018, Accepted 24 Apr 2018, Published online: 25 May 2018
 

Abstract

Proteins and peptides possess inherent properties which can benefit medical devices that interact with electro-responsive tissues. However, proteinaceous materials are typically electrically insulating and hence are not suitable to be utilized as conductive elements in electromedical and other bio-interfacing devices. The discovery of intrinsic electrical conductivity in bacterial protein nanofibers, termed e-pili, could give rise to mimetic reductionist design and thus provide an opportunity to improve the function of existing electromedical devices. In this Special Report we review key aspects concerning the properties of e-pili and present the ongoing effort toward the design of mimetic conductive nanostructures. We highlight the advantages of using self-assembling peptides as building blocks for this purpose and discuss the prospect of the envisioned mimetic nanostructures.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Argentinian Friends of Tel Aviv University (T Guterman), the European Research Council BISON project and the Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative and Helmsley Charitable Trust (E Gazit). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Argentinian Friends of Tel Aviv University (T Guterman), the European Research Council BISON project and the Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative and Helmsley Charitable Trust (E Gazit). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

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