Biological self-assembly and recognition used to synthesize and surface guide next generation of hybrid materials.

Free-standing, high aspect ratio sulfur-doped carbon nanodots-based hybrid nanowires with a microtubular aspect were synthesized using self-recognition and self-assembly processes of tubulin, a biological molecule precursor of the cytoskeletal cellular and structural filaments. Physico-chemical characterizations (e.g., morphology, diameter, spectra absorbance etc.) of the user-synthesized hybrid bio-nanowires were performed using classical atomic and spectroscopic techniques, while bioactivity testing was demonstrated by mimicking cellular transport based on kinesin, a motor protein capable to recognize, bind onto and move onto cytoskeletal filaments. Our results indicate that user-synthesized hybrid nanowires could be manipulated in vitro under constant chemical energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and have the potential to be implemented in the next generation of synthetic applications from drug delivery to diagnosis systems, and photocatalytic to optical devices.