biopolymers-and-bioplastics-2016_scientifictracks-abstracts

4 / 30

Notes:
Page 21
Biopolymers and Bioplastics 2016
September 12-14, 2016
Volume 7, Issue 5(Suppl) J Bioremed Biodeg 2016
ISSN: 2155-6199 JBRBD, an open access journal
conferenceseries .com
September 12-14, 2016 San Antonio, USA
3rd International Conference and Exhibition onBiopolymers & Bioplastics
Ayala Lampel, J Bioremed Biodeg 2016, 7:5(Suppl)
Supramolecular templating of tunable peptide-melanins
Ayala Lampel
City University of New York, USA
Melanins are pigments shared across the living world, serving key functions including UV protection, coloration and free
radical scavenging. These properties are of value in technological applications, however, despite progress, biological
melanin formation, involving controlled catalytic oxidation of tyrosine residues directed by reactant compartmentalization, is
poorly understood- limiting production of synthetic melanins with desired properties. We demonstrate that sequence design
in tyrosine containing tri-peptides gives rise to precise control over tyrosine accessibility, reactivity and presentation, allow for
the oxidation and polymerization pathway to be controlled. In this approach, the supramolecular order of tri-peptides provides
a template for the formation of low cost, solution processed, biodegradable, minimalistic melanin-inspired materials with
tunable electrical and optical properties.
Biography
Dr. Ayala Lampel is a postdoctoral research associate in Prof. Rein Ulijn's research group in the Nanoscience Initiative at CUNYASRC, and an awardee of an Israeli
Council for Higher Education Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her work is focused on functional supramolecular materials design for biological systems. Prior to this, Ayala
received her PhD in Biotechnology at Tel Aviv University, with Prof. Ehud Gazit, focusing on the viral capsid assembly process and antiviral design tools, and a BSc
in Neuroscience (BSc Program in Neuroscience for Outstanding Students, Tel Aviv University).