Structure of a-amylase single chain nanoparticles

Single chain nanoparticles are polymeric nanoparticles made from intramolecular cross-linking of individual chains, which can also be made of polypeptides or proteins. Here, we propose to study the structure of SCNPs based on the enzyme α-Amylase denatured in urea solutions and collapsed via intra-molecular crosslinking. The enzymatic activity is supressed upon denaturation, whereas internal cross-linking recovers part of this activity. This proposal aims to perform a detailed structural characterization by SAXS of the enzyme and their SCNPs to compare with the enzymatic activity.