Innovative approaches are needed for the design and fabrication of functional nanoscale materials and devices. Biological molecules, which are optimally produced in nature, possess the requisite size and functionality to permit their use as the basis for such device components. Significant materials challenges exist, however, for the successful integration of biological molecules (e.g., proteins) with conventional inorganic components. In this presentation, two strategies for the fabrication of bio-based materials will be described: In the first, the integration of a phage-identified peptide is used for the selective coupling of biomolecules with a pervoskite ferroelectric (PZT) to yield a nanoscale biomolecular valve for the control of fluid movement on the nanometer length scale. In the second system, a synthetic approach for the asymmetric surface coupling and orienting of a membrane protein that undergoes efficient light induced charge separation, a bacterial photosynthetic reaction center protein, is described that permits its “hardwiring” onto a patterned electrode forming the basis of a biocompatible battery.

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