From Molecular Lego to Programmable Matter

“From Molecular Lego to Programmable Matter”
Christian Schafmeister, PhD, Temple University, Feynman Prize for Experimental Work

Bricks that make DNA

Bricks that make proteins

Unnatural brick that fold – foldamers ( a field guide to foldamers)

Program their shape
Bis-amino acids (reactive groups) assemble to bis-peptide
Connect with pairs of bonds

New therapeutics and new catalysts

Nanosystems that build nanosystems
2007 roadmaps

Cando runs on Kraken
170,000 lines of C++
Built in lisp scripting language

Molecular lego concept (Stoddart 1992)

Pro4 bis-amino acid monomers

Solution phase oligomer assembly (make hundreds of grams)

Functionalized oligomers (organic letters, synthesis of hexa and penta substituted diketo…) 2010 paper

Take polystyrene beads and assemble molecules on them and make large libraries of them and assemble in parallel.

Broad spectrum antibiotic – a pre assembled hole that open up cell membranes and kill cells

Artificial membrane channels- can filter actinides
Bis-peptide macrocycles

Tyr-Asp / Glu Motif (making catalysts)

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