Artificial cytoskeletal structures within enzymatically active bio-inorganic protocells

Abstract

The fabrication of enzymatically active, semi-permeable bio-inorganic protocells capable of self-assembling a cytoskeletal-like interior and undergoing small-molecule dephosphorylation reactions is described. Reversible disassembly of an amino acid-derived supramolecular hydrogel within the internalized reaction space is used to tune the enzymatic activity of the nanoparticle-bounded inorganic compartments. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.