Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Gerdon, Aren Elliott
Author's Email Address	a.gerdon@vanderbilt.edu
URN	etd-12072006-092733
Title	Peptide Epitope Functionalized Monolayer-Protected Clusters for Life Science Applications
Degree	PhD
Department	Chemistry
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title David E. Cliffel Committee Chair David W. Wright Committee Member Eva Harth Committee Member Ned Porter Committee Member Raymond Mernaugh Committee Member
Keywords	quartz crystal microbalance peptide antigen mimic immunosensor nanocluster Nanoparticles -- Analysis Quartz crystal microbalances Antigenic determinants -- Analysis Biosensors Mimicry (Chemistry)
Date of Defense	2006-12-05
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Developments at the interface between biology and nanoscale materials are crucial for the success of bionanotechnology in academic and industrial endeavors. An early development was made in assembling biological antibodies with inorganic nanoclusters through peptide-based interfaces. The thesis of this work is based on the idea that better interfaces can be assembled using monolayer-protected cluster scaffolds presenting peptide epitopes in a physiologically-relevant conformation. Significant progress towards this goal has resulted in sophisticated antigen mimics that make use of epitope primary structure as well as secondary structure. Nanoparticle-based antigen mimics were shown to be antigenic as well as immunogenic using monoclonal antibodies, mouse model studies, and an effective immunosensor based on quartz crystal microbalance technology. This project has provided a foundation for continued work on QCM-based pathogen detection, nanoparticle-based vaccines, nanoparticle-based sensor calibrants, and advanced immuno-materials interfaces.
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