Self-assembled nanostructures

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to the preparation of nanostructures by the encapsulation of a charged compound with individual self-assembled unit nanostructures.

1 .  1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A method of preparing a nanostructure comprising combining: (i) a plurality of peptide segments, each comprising a first domain with binding affinity for a charged compound, a second domain comprising an amino acid sequence with a coiled-coil structure, and a third domain comprising a water soluble polymer, wherein the second domain is positioned between the first and third domains; and (ii) a charged compound under conditions sufficient to allow self-assembly of the plurality of peptide segments into capsomers and self-assembly of the capsomers into the nanostructure. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the charged compound is a nucleic acid. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the nucleic acid is double stranded. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the nucleic acid is a double stranded circular plasmid or vector, DNA, RNA, a synthetic polynucleotide or a small interfering RNA. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the nucleic acid comprises at least 5 nucleotides. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the nucleic acid comprises between at least 5 nucleotides and at least 1 megabase, between at least 5 nucleotides and at least 5 kilobases, between at least 100 nucleotides and at least 1 kilobase or between at least 1 kilobase and at least 1 megabase. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34  wherein each of the plurality of peptide segments comprises at least two peptide segments, at least three peptide segments, at least four peptide segments, at least five peptide segments, at least six peptide segments, at least seven peptide segments, at least eight peptide segments, at least nine peptide segments, at least ten peptide segments, or more than ten peptide segments. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the charged material is encapsulated by the capsomers. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the nanostructure has an electronic property. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the electronic property is selected from the group consisting of semiconductivity, conductivity and electrochromism. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the nanostructure is a monodisperse filamentous structure. 
     
     
         45 . A nanostructure produced by the method of  claim 34 . 
     
     
         46 . A method of transfecting a cell comprising the step of contacting the cell with the nanostructure of  claim 45 . 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the cell is transfected in vitro. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the cell is transfected in vivo. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the cell is a cancer cell. 
     
     
         50 - 51 . (canceled)