Engineering structure and function using thermoresponsive biopolymers

Self‐assembly enables exquisite control at the smallest scale and generates order among macromolecular‐building blocks that remain too small to be manipulated individually. Environmental cues, such as heating, can trigger the organization of these materials from individual molecules to multipartixcle assemblies with a variety of compositions and functions. Synthetic as well as biological polymers have been engineered for these purposes; however, biological strategies can offer unparalleled control over the composition of these macromolecular‐building blocks. Biologic polymers are macromolecules composed of monomeric units that can be precisely tailored at the genetic level; furthermore, they can often utilize endogenous biodegradation pathways, which may enhance their potential clinical applications. DNA (nucleotides), polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and proteins (amino acids) have all been engineered to self‐assemble into nanostructures in response to a change in temperature. This focus article reviews the growing body of literature exploring temperature‐dependent nano‐assembly of these biological macromolecules, summarizes some of their physical properties, and discusses future directions. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 8:123–138. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1350 This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Nucleic Acid-Based Structures Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures