Engineering hybrid protein-RNA nanostructures as advanced biomaterials

This PhD thesis explore a novel class of nanomaterial solely composed of protein and RNA. It sequentially designs and assembles one-dimensional protein-RNA nanowire as a proof of concept. Then the 1D hybrid material was extended to 2D structure by introducing multiple binding sites in RNA molecules. The hybrid protein-RNA materials were then engineered with non-covalent photo switchable reversibility, followed by biophysical study of protein partners that confers essential light switchability.