In vitro transcription and protein translation from carbon nanotube-DNA assemblies

The generation of assemblies consisting of DNA adsorbed onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by means of electrostatic interactions is described. These hybrids can be used as templates for RNA polymerase-catalyzed gene transcription, which can then lead to in vitro protein synthesis. The process involves the noncovalent functionalization of SWNTs with cationic moieties that would strongly bind to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of the DNA. A SWNT bucky paper was initially treated with 1-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride (PMA) and then incubated with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA),which represents a heterogeneous mixture of DNA. The amount of DNA adsorbed on SWNT was calculated by the mass balance of the initial DNA and the amount left in the supernatant after equilibrium, that shows the mass of CT-DNA adsorbed onto the SWNT normalized by the weight of bucky paper as a function of the volume of PMA.