Peptide templates for nanoparticle synthesis obtained through pcr-driven phage display method

A method for obtaining phage which can express a peptide which can bind to an inorganic material using a combinatorial phage display library comprising:

• a. incubating a combinatorial phage display peptide library with a target inorganic material which will bind to peptides expressed by the phage of the library;
• b. eluting the library so as to collect the phage bound to the target inorganic material;
• and
• c. amplifying the nucleic acid of the phage bound to the target inorganic material using a polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing said nucleic acid so as to determine the sequence of the peptides coded by the nucleic acid of the phage which can bind to the target inorganic material.

A method for identifying peptides which can bind to a stable inorganic element or a stable inorganic complex of said element using a combinatorial phage display library comprising:

• a. incubating a combinatorial phage display peptide library with a target inorganic element or complex which will bind to peptides expressed by the phage of the library;
• b. eluting the library so as to collect the phage bound to the target inorganic element or complex;
• c. isolating the nucleic acid of the phage bound to the target inorganic element or complex;
• d. amplifying the nucleic acid of the phage bound to the target inorganic element or complex using a polymerase-chain reaction (PCR);
• and
• e. sequencing said nucleic acid so as to determine the sequence of the peptides coded by the nucleic acid of the phage which can bind to the target inorganic element or complex.

A method for identifying peptides which can bind to a carbon nanotube using a combinatorial phage display library comprising:

• a. incubating a combinatorial phage peptide display library with a carbon nanotube for a time sufficient so that the carbon nanotube will bind to peptides expressed by the phage of the library;
• b. eluting the library so as to collect the phage bound to the carbon nanotube;
• c. rupturing the phage so as to release the nucleic acid of the phage bound to the carbon nanotube;
• d. amplifying the nucleic acid of the phage bound to the carbon nanotube using a polymerase-chain reaction (PCR);
• and
• e. sequencing said nucleic acid so as to determine the sequence of the peptides coded by the nucleic acid of the phage which can bind to the carbon nanotube.