Charles Coulomb Laboratory (L2C)

ANR CANELONI : Multi-scale approach to bio-inspired hybrid systems for nanofiltration and iontronics

ANR CANELONI (ANR project : 2025-2029)

Coordinator :

  • François Henn, L2C, Montpellier

Partners :

  • L2C, Université de Montpellier-CNRS
  • IBMM, Université de Montpellier-CNRS
  • Laboratoire de Nanomédecine, Imagerie, Thérapeutique, Université de Marie et Louis Pasteur, Besançon
  • NIMBE-LEDNA, IRAMIS/CEA-Univ Paris-Saclay
  • ILL, Grenoble

Project goal :

To date, synthetic nanopores are significantly less efficient than the ion channels found in cellular membranes, which can ensure both extremely rapid and highly selective ion transport. Integrating biological ion channels (BICs) into solid-state nanochannels offers a durable solution, but preserving their native conformation is essential.

This project proposes a mutual adaptation between an artificial channel and a biological ion channel. More specifically, it aims to study the confinement of gramicidin (gA), a β-helix structured peptide, within a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT).

Beyond this specific interest, the project also seeks to provide insights into the confinement conditions of such a peptide and the preservation of its biological properties. The study will combine experimental approaches with molecular modeling. The experimental work will involve synthesizing the hybrid gA/SWCNT system and characterizing it using Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), neutron spectroscopy, and water adsorption isotherms. The ionic conduction properties of this hybrid system will be analyzed at the membrane scale, using a mat of aligned CNTs and nanofluidic microchips built around a single SWCNT. Molecular simulation based on classical force field molecular dynamics will investigate the structure of the peptide once it enters and stays confined inside the SWCNT and then will calculate the ionic transport properties of this hybrid system.