Persistent ATP-Concentration Gradients in a Hydrogel Sustained by Chemical Fuel Consumption |
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Authors: | Yingjuan Cao Dr Luca Gabrielli Dr Diego Frezzato Prof Dr Leonard J Prins |
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Institution: | Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy |
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Abstract: | We show the formation of macroscopic ATP-concentrations in an agarose gel and demonstrate that these gradients can be sustained in time at the expense of the consumption of a chemical fuel. The approach relies on the spatially controlled activation of ATP-producing and ATP-consuming reactions through the local injection of enzymes in the matrix. The reaction-diffusion system is maintained in a stationary non-equilibrium state as long as chemical fuel, phosphocreatine, is present. The reaction-diffusion system is coupled to a supramolecular system composed of monolayer protected gold nanoparticles and a fluorescent probe. As a result of this coupling, fluorescence signals emerge spontaneously in response to the ATP-concentration gradients. We show that the approach permits the rational formation of complex fluorescence patterns that change over time as a function of the evolution of the ATP-concentrations present in the system. |
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Keywords: | Chemical Fuel Concentration Gradient Hydrogel Non-Equilibrium Self-Assembly |
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