Nanotechnology Research and Development

My research interests are centered on using biomolecules to solve engineering problems. I am pursuing two branches of research in this area: using assemblies of proteins as nanometer-scale templates for application in optical and electronic devices, and using protein binding sites for small molecules as the basis for new sensors.

The chaperonin protein from Sulfolobus shibatae has proved to be a very useful template for nanostructured materials due to its high stability and its propensity to form either 2-dimensional arrays or filamentous structures. My current work is focused on reordering the peptide chain of this protein to facilitate addition of substrate binding peptides, protein biosensors, or enzymes to this nanostructured template.

I am also conducting research to use the binding of proteins derived from bacteria as the basis for fluorescent biosensors. Living organisms have developed proteins with highly sensitive and selective binding sites for a wide variety of substrates. Recent efforts in computational protein design have broadened the range of binding specificities even further. I am developing sensors for application in detection of extraterrestrial biomarkers as well as sensors for monitoring contaminants in life support systems.

Email: Chad.D.Paavola@nasa.gov
Phone: 650-604-5647

If you have trouble viewing this page due to a disability, please contact Amara de Keczer at 650-604-3473 or email at adekeczer@mail.arc.nasa.gov.