b'Improving the StabilitySmart biomolecules can be used to create materials and sensors for and Durability of Aptamerenvironmental, advanced manufacturing, and homeland security applications.Based Smart MaterialsT here is an increasing necessity to develop a standardized, cost-effective, robust, and adaptable methodology to produce smart molecules that Using Extremophiles can detect, interact, and respond to a diverse variety of chemical and biochemical compounds selectively and sensitively. In addition, these smart molecules should be characterized by their flexibility, robustness, resilience, and durability because they will be most likely used in very extreme environments for long time periods. Nucleic acid and peptide aptamers are smart molecules that can dose respond with high levels of sensitivity and specificity to target molecules PROJECT NUMBER:ranging from simple ions to complex whole cells. Even though aptamers are more 20A44-203 chemically stable than antibodies, their stability and durability might not be enough for extreme environments or long periods. Post-production chemical modifications TOTAL APPROVED AMOUNT:have improved stability, but they might compromise sensitivity and specificity. This $550,000 over 3 years project established the basis for a simple, robust solution to improve the stability PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:and durability issues of these flexible smart molecules by starting the selection Lorenzo Vega-Montoto process with a library of proteo-geno-transcriptomic material from extremophiles that have been proven to withstand extreme conditions instead of a library of CO-INVESTIGATORS: random sequences. The Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential procedures Dayna Daubaras, INL were developed and optimized to produce aptamers from random and extremophile Caryn Evilia, Idaho State University derived libraries. Quality control methodologies to assess the progress and completion of the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential methodology as well as bioinformatic pipelines to perform next generation sequencing analysis and motif analysis were implemented to decide the most promising aptamers for each target. These studies led to the identification of promising aptamer candidates to perform exploratory affinity and specificity studies to assess the intrinsic selectivity and specificity that will be required to develop smart material applications.Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential approach allows the identification of aptamers that can be used to develop dose dependent, selective and specific fluorescent sensors.66'