Postsynthetic Functionalization of DNA-Nanocomposites with Proteins Yields Bioinstructive Matrices for Cell Culture Applications

We report on the directed postsynthetic functionalization of soft DNA nanocomposite materials with proteins. Using the example of the functionalization of silica nanoparticle-modified DNA polymer materials with agonists or antagonists of the epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR cell membrane receptor, we demonstrate that hierarchically structured interfaces to living cells can be established. Owing to the modular design principle, even complex DNA nanostructures can be integrated into the materials, thereby enabling the high-precision arrangement of ligands on the lower nanometer length scale. We believe that such complex biohybrid material systems can be used for new applications in biotechnology.