Enzyvitands: versatile evolvable colorimetric chembioreceptors

Designing the perfect sensor is the dream of any chemist. Since decades, a wide variety of synthetic receptors that targets analytes have been explored in chemistry. Their chemical optimisation is hard and does not guarantee success. In this context, we propose a fast and self-assembling colorimetric bio-chemical receptor coined Enzyvitand. It consists of only commercial chemicals and relies on the reunification of combinatorial chemistry, interactions of first and second coordination spheres interactions and indicators displacement assays that are harboured within a protein cavity. The sensor is highly modular, cheap and evolvable. Owing to it's solved X-ray structure and docking studies, we rationally designed it for the selective naked-eye recognition of dopamine over other neurotransmitters through the second coordination sphere. The supramolecular-anchored boronic acid into the protein allows also discrimination between (D)-Fructose versus dopamine relying on second coordination sphere. Hence, our sensor imitates a biological receptor for the recognition of neurotransmitters. Finally, it works in complex samples such as urine. Its immediate high versatility and evolvability are valuable for the selective detection of a wide assortment of analytes, ranging from small molecules up to micro-organisms. Regarding future applications, we anticipate new biotechnological or immunotherapeutic applications of our synthetic oligomer.