Abstract
Utilization of biomolecular multifunctionality such as molecular recognition and catalysis capabilities attracts a great deal of attention in materials science and engineering. Recently developed bionanotechnologies revealed that short peptides (peptide aptamers), which were isolated from phage or cell-surface displayed peptide libraries through affinity-based selection processes, bound specifically to the surfaces of artificial materials. These peptides were successfully utilized to design and engineer heterogeneous interfaces. Our group is interested in peptides that precisely recognize the structural differences of synthetic polymers. In this lecture, our recent progress in the identification and functionalization of polymer-binding peptides is outlined as the first topic. We found that polymer nanostructures such as a primary sequence, stereoregularity, amphiphilicity, crystallinity, chirality, linear/branch structure, assembly structure, and porosity were able to fit to the three-dimensionally regular nanostructures of peptides. On the other hand, enzymatic reactions under aqueous mild conditions have the potentials for realizing sustainable and environmentally friendly synthesis of polymer-based functional materials. Our group is interested in crystalline cellulose oligomers (cellodextrins), which can be synthesized by phosphorolytic reactions of cellodextrin phosphorylase using α-D-glucose 1-phosphate monomers and D-glucose derivative primers. As the second topic, our recent progress in the synthesis and functionalization of multiphase cellulose oligomers is outlined. We found that reactive nanosheets or well developed nanoribbons composed of crystalline cellulose oligomers were obtained by the enzymatic reactions under adequate reaction conditions.

Biography:
Research Interest: Biopolymer, Bioengineering, Surface Chemistry
Education/Career:
2011-present Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology
2004-2011  Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo
1999-2003  Associate Professor, Kagoshima University
1996-1999  Assistant Professor, Kagoshima University
1996       Doctor of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
1993       Master of Education, Chiba University