Achievement

Several biological molecules of nanoscale dimensions, such as elastin and resilin, are capable of performing diverse tasks with minimal energy loss. These molecules are efficient in that the ratio of energy output to energy consumed is very close to unity. This is in stark contrast to some of the best synthetic materials that have been created. We have simulated tensile tests of naturally occurring motifs found in resilin (a highly hydrophilic protein), as well as similar simulations found in reduced-polarity counterparts (eg. the same motif with the charge on each individual atom reduced significantly from the natural value). The results show a strong correlation between charge and extensibility. In order to further understand the effect of properties such as charge on the system, we will be running simulations of elastomeric proteins such as resilin in different solvents. This work produced one journal paper and three conference presentations during the reporting period.