Lanmodulin Fusion Peptide for Rare Earth Element Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack effective means to detect and recover rare earth elements from discarded equipment and environmental sites, with existing fluorescent proteins being specific to calcium and unable to bind or detect rare earth elements.
Innovation Solution
A fusion peptide comprising a fluorescent domain, such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), conjugated with a rare earth element detection domain like lanmodulin or its chimera with calmodulin, which binds to rare earth elements, allowing for fluorescence-based detection and potential recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GCaMP is used for detection, then calcium detection is achieved, but rare earth element detection is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the calcium-specific binding domain (calmodulin) with lanmodulin, a binding domain that can bind multiple rare earth elements (lanthanides, actinides, scandium, and yttrium). This modification makes the fluorescent protein universal for detecting various rare earth elements while maintaining the fluorescence-based detection mechanism, thus achieving multi-functionality without sacrificing detection precision
2Measurement precision
If LaMP1 is used with ECFP and citrine, then rare earth element detection is enabled, but structural separation complicates the design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fluorescent protein (EGFP) and the binding domain (lanmodulin) into a single fusion protein construct. This combines the fluorescence capability and the rare earth element binding capability into one integrated molecule, simplifying the overall design compared to LaMP1 which requires separate ECFP and citrine components with complex spatial arrangement for FRET detection
3Illumination intensity
If existing fluorescent proteins are used, then fluorescence detection is achieved, but binding affinity to rare earth elements is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lanmodulin as an intermediary binding domain that specifically binds rare earth elements with high affinity. This intermediary component mediates between the fluorescent protein and the rare earth elements, enabling specific recognition and binding while the fluorescent protein provides the detection signal, thus combining high binding affinity with detectable fluorescence
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fusion peptide enables sensitive and specific detection of rare earth elements, including gadolinium, with enhanced fluorescence response upon binding, facilitating imaging, detection, and potential recovery from environmental samples.
Implementation Method 1
the fluorescent domain comprises enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)... detecting an amount of fluorescence of the fusion peptide
Implementation Method 2
In the presence of a lanthanide binding induces a conformational change to the lanmodulin that brings the citrine into proximity with the ECFP to induce a FRET response
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are fusion peptides comprising a fluorescent domain and a rare earth element detection domain capable of binding to a rare earth element and fluorescing when exposed to light when a rare earth element is bound and compositions thereof. The fusion peptide may further comprise a leader domain and a tail domain. The fusion peptide acts as a biosensor to detect and quantify rare earth elements. Methods for imaging internal body structures, detecting rare earth elements in a biosample or environmental sample, and cleaning an environmental site are also presented.