# US 12,180,305 B2 · Systems and methods for immobilizing a target protein > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,305 B2 - Document ID: US12180305B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/498,438 - Filed: 2021-10-11 - Published: 2022-06-30 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-11 - Assignees: University of South Florida - Applicants: University of South Florida - Inventors: Houman Yaghoubi; Arash Takshi; John Thomas Beatty - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180305B2 ## CPC - C07K 17/14: Peptides being immobilised on, or in, an inorganic carrier - H01G 9/2059: {comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution} - H10K 85/761: {Biomolecules or bio-macromolecules, e.g. proteins, chlorophyl, lipids or enzymes} - H10K 10/701: {Organic molecular electronic devices} - H10K 30/81: Electrodes - C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00) - H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10) - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES ## Abstract In some embodiments, a bioelectronic device includes an electrode, target proteins, and attachment mechanisms that immobilize the target proteins on the electrode, the attachment mechanisms comprising linker proteins that interface with the target proteins and attach the target proteins to the electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for immobilizing a target protein on an electrode, the method comprising: providing the electrode comprising a bare metal surface, wherein the bare metal surface is an outermost surface of the electrode; attaching a linker protein comprising cytochrome c to the bare metal surface of the electrode by directly attaching the linker protein comprising cytochrome c to the bare metal surface of the electrode; and directly attaching the target protein to the attached linker protein to immobilize the target protein relative to the bare metal surface of the electrode, wherein the target protein is only indirectly attached to the bare metal surface of the electrode via the linker protein. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises gold, and wherein providing the electrode comprising the bare metal surface comprises: providing the electrode comprising a bare gold surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein attaching the cytochrome c to the bare metal surface of the electrode further comprises: attaching the cytochrome c to the bare gold surface of the electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the target protein is a photosynthetic reaction center protein, and wherein directly attaching the target protein to the attached linker protein further comprises: directly attaching the photosynthetic reaction center protein to the cytochrome c. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the electrode is a working electrode, and wherein the method further comprises: providing a counter electrode adjacent to the working electrode, exposing the photosynthetic reaction center protein to light, and monitoring a photocurrent between the working electrode and the counter electrode based on exposing the photosynthetic reaction center protein to the light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein providing the counter electrode adjacent to the working electrode further comprises: providing the counter electrode adjacent to the working electrode in an electrolyte solution. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein providing the counter electrode adjacent to the working electrode in the electrolyte solution further comprises: providing the counter electrode adjacent to the working electrode in the electrolyte solution comprising a charge carrier mediator comprising at least one of quinone or ferrocene. ### Claim 8 A method for immobilizing a target protein on an electrode, the method comprising: providing the electrode comprising a bare metal surface, wherein the bare metal surface is an outermost surface of the electrode; attaching a linker protein comprising plastocyanin to the bare metal surface of the electrode by directly attaching the linker protein comprising plastocyanin to the bare metal surface of the electrode; and directly attaching the target protein to the attached linker protein to immobilize the target protein relative to the bare metal surface of the electrode, wherein the target protein is only indirectly attached to the bare metal surface of the electrode via the linker protein. ### Claim 9 A method for immobilizing a target protein on an electrode, the method comprising: providing the electrode comprising a bare metal surface, wherein the bare metal surface is an outermost surface of the electrode; attaching a linker protein to the bare metal surface of the electrode by directly attaching the linker protein to the bare metal surface of the electrode; and directly attaching the target protein to the attached linker protein to immobilize the target protein relative to the bare metal surface of the electrode, wherein the target protein is only indirectly attached to the bare metal surface of the electrode via the linker protein, and wherein directly attaching the target protein to the attached linker protein further comprises: directly attaching at least one of R. sphaeroides bacterium RC, R. sphaeroides bacterium RCLH1 +Pufx, R. sphaeroides bacterium RC-LH1 −Pufx, a Photosystem I protein, a Photosystem II protein, a protein complex from the phycobilisome protein family, or a bacteriorhodopsin protein to the attached linker protein.