Synthetic "Nanoreactors" to Mimic Biology

C. Adrian Figg, Rebecca A. Olson, John B. Garrison, Jacob J. Lessard, Georg M. Scheutz, Brent S. Sumerlin

University of Florida

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) relies on the in situ aggregation of polymer chains during a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer dispersion block copolymerization. By conjugating a fraction of the macro chain transfer agents with a protein, the protein should be encapsulated into vesicles as the nanoparticles undergo morphological transitions during a PISA polymerization. These protein-containing vesicles will then act as “nanoreactors,” catalyzing the conversion of prodrugs to their active form and the degradation of the vesicles into their polymeric substituents. The model developed through this work provides the synthetic foundation to better emulate and understand complex nanoscale compartmentalization, while being immediately applicable to the fields of polymer chemistry, biomimetic synthesis, and medicinal chemistry.