Cell membrane penetrating conjugates

1. A cell penetrating conjugate comprising a recombinant β helical protein linked to a functional molecule, wherein the β helical protein length is in the range of from 5 nm to 25 nm, and width is in the range of from 1 nm to 5 nm; wherein the β helical protein comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, and SEQ ID NO: 12, and combinations thereof.

2. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recombinant β helical protein is linked to the functional molecule via a linker molecule selected from the group consisting of: polyethyleneglycol (PEG); peptide; metal conjugate, drug-metal conjugate, DNA binding domain, nucleic acid intercalating molecule and combinations thereof.

3. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 2 , wherein when the linker molecule is a peptide, the peptide comprises amino acids selected from the group consisting of: aliphatic amino acids; aromatic amino acids; and combinations thereof.

4. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recombinant β helical protein is linked to the functional molecule by one or more of the group consisting of: covalent bonds, non-covalent bonds, and combinations thereof.

5. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recombinant β helical protein is linked to the functional molecule by a linkage selected from the group consisting of an ester linkage and an amide linkage.

6. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the functional molecule is selected from the group consisting of dyes, drugs, metal, drug-metal conjugate, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, nuclear localizing signals, nanoparticles, and combinations thereof.

7. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conjugate further comprises a signal sequence wherein the signal sequence directs the conjugate to a particular cell or part of a cell.

8. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the signal sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17.

9. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conjugate further comprises a phosphatidyl choline molecule.

10. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the conjugate transfers the functional molecule to a location selected from the group consisting of: cell organelles; nucleus; endoplasmic reticulum; mitochondria; cell membrane; and P-cadherin overexpressing breast cancer cells.

11. The cell penetrating conjugate as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cell organelles are selected from the group comprising actin filaments, golgi bodies, cell membrane, and microtubulins.

12. A process for transferring a functional molecule into at least one cell, said process comprising:

a) linking the functional molecule to a recombinant β helical protein to obtain a conjugate;

b) contacting the conjugate with at least one cell;

wherein contacting the conjugate of step (b) transfers the functional molecule into the at least one cell; and

wherein the β helical protein length is in the range of from 5 nm to 25 nm and width is in the range of from 1 nm to 5 nm; wherein the β helical protein comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, and SEQ ID NO: 12, and combinations thereof.

13. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the process comprises after step (b):

c) detecting the transfer of the conjugate inside the at least one cell.

14. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one cell is selected from the group consisting of eukaryotic cells, prokaryotic cells, and combinations thereof.

15. A conjugate, wherein the conjugate comprises:

(i) (a) at least one recombinant β helical protein; (b) at least one linker; and (c) at least one nucleic acid molecule, wherein the at least one recombinant β helical protein length is in the range of from 5 nm to 25 nm, and width is in the range of from 1 nm to 5 nm; and wherein the β helical protein comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, and combinations thereof;

(ii) (a) at least one recombinant β helical protein; (b) at least one linker; and (c) a functional molecule, wherein the functional molecule is at least one protein, wherein the at least one recombinant β helical protein length is in the range of from 5 nm to 25 nm, and width is in the range of from 1 nm to 5 nm and; wherein the β helical protein comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, and combinations thereof; or

(iii) (a) at least one recombinant β helical protein; (b) at least one linker; and (c) a functional molecule, wherein the functional molecule is at least one quantum dot, wherein the at least one recombinant β helical protein length is in the range of from 5 nm to 25 nm, and width is in the range of from 1 nm to 5 nm and; wherein the β helical protein comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, and combinations thereof.

16. The conjugate as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises at least one gene of interest.