New Polymer Detection Method to Turn the (Pep)Tide in the Fight Against Water Pollution

Polymers are long chains of chemicals made up of much smaller, repeating units. Although they are rarely associated with the term, proteins too can be thought of as polymers because they are made up of thousands of subunits called ‘amino acids.’ Short chains of these amino acids are called peptides. Peptides can undergo specific and non-specific interactions with molecules, such as polymers, in different ways with different levels of affinity. In a new study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), have exploited these interactions to develop a new peptide sensor for the identification of water-soluble polymers in mixed solutions. “Our technique depends on a machine learning pattern analysis that mimics mammalian odor and taste discrimination. Just like how our noses and tongues can distinguish between myriad odors and tastes using a limited number of receptor proteins, so too can our single peptide senor be used to detect multiple polymers and other molecules,” says Professor Takeshi Serizawa, who led the study.
The research team based the technique around a peptide that binds to a synthetic polymer called poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). They then introduced a fluorescent ‘tag’ called N-(1-anilinonaphthyl-4)
“Our technique can be used to not only detect dissolved macromolecular pollutants like polymer in water, but also will be used to analyze how they enter into the environment,” says Dr. Serizawa. The research team further plans to extend the method to other peptides and polymers.
With such potent research to help guide the way, remediating and protecting our marine environments could soon become a reality!