The newest in artificial enzymes

For our last week of class, I have decided to write about an interesting topic that may have molecular biology applications in the future, but is not quite there yet. An upcoming technology technology involves using carbon nanodots and quantum carbon nanodots to replicate the active sites of enzymes. This allows a manufactured structure to replicate the function of naturally produced enzymes.

 I found the concept behind this to be a little incredulous, but after reading the review I found online (link below) it looks like the results have been replicated by different research groups and the use of this technology is expanding. To create the carbon nanodots there are two approaches. In a top-down approach carbon from a bulk material, like a mass of graphene, is broken down into the shapes necessary through the application of laser irradiation, arc discharges, electrochemical carbonization, and plasma treatment to form appropriately sized and shaped carbon dots. In the bottom up approach carbon is added to an organic molecule that forms a sort of base from which the carbon can assemble into the correct shape. The nanodots, once created, can be modified to more closely replicate enzyme active sites. The nanodots have shown to have a low toxicity and high specificity when used in experiments. This makes them ideal for later research in drug delivery.

I am interested to see how advanced they can make this technology. Being able to create enzymes for specific tasks sounds like a great help in elucidating biochemical mechanisms and a variety of other applications. For now, though most of the research is focused on carbon nanodots that act like peroxidases, not particularly exciting, but still a proof of concept that the carbon nanodot research is working. Let me know what you think below!

An overview of carbon nanodots and their applications:

http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/12/1653/htm