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Systems Chemistry from Bottom Up: Switching, Gating and Oscillations in Non Enzymatic Peptide Networks (BOTTOM-UP_SYSCHEM)
Start date: Oct 1, 2010, End date: Sep 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The study of synthetic molecular networks is of fundamental importance for understanding the organizational principles of biological systems and may well be the key to unraveling the origins of life. In addition, such systems may be useful for parallel synthesis of molecules, implementation of catalysis via multi-step pathways, and as media for various applications in nano-medicine and nano-electronics. We have been involved recently in developing peptide-based replicating networks and revealed their dynamic characteristics. We argue here that the structural information embedded in the polypeptide chains is sufficiently rich to allow the construction of peptide 'Systems Chemistry', namely, to facilitate the use of replicating networks as cell-mimetics, featuring complex dynamic behavior. To bring this novel idea to reality, we plan to take a unique holistic approach by studying such networks both experimentally and via simulations, for elucidating basic-principles and towards applications in adjacent fields, such as molecular electronics. Towards realizing these aims, we will study three separate but inter-related objectives: (i) design and characterization of networks that react and rewire in response to external triggers, such as light, (ii) design of networks that operate via new dynamic rules of product formation that lead to oscillations, and (iii) exploitation of the molecular information gathered from the networks as means to control switching and gating in molecular electronic devices. We believe that achieving the project's objectives will be highly significant for the development of the arising field of Systems Chemistry, and in addition will provide valuable tools for studying related scientific fields, such as systems biology and molecular electronics.
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