1
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Gao J, Boos AM, Kopp A, Isella B, Drinic A, Heim A, Christer T, Beier JP, Robering JW. Comparison of adipose derived stromal cells cultured on fibroin scaffolds fabricated by salt-leaching and by freeze-thawing. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 164:213992. [PMID: 39146605 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Fibroin, the main structural protein of Bombyx mori silk, is known for its mechanical properties, its biocompatibility and degradation characteristics in vivo. Various studies investigate its uses as cell carrier and/or material for surgical implants. Multiple protocols have been established to isolate fibroin from silk fibers and to produce scaffolds and films from fibroin solution. There is only limited literature available on how fibroin scaffolds manufactured by different methods compare to each other in terms of performance as cell carriers. This study compares the behaviour of human adipose derived stromal cells (ADSC) seeded on fibroin scaffolds produced by (i) salt-leaching and (ii) freeze-thawing. One type of freeze-thawing scaffold (poresize ≪ 315 μm) and three types of salt-leaching scaffolds (poresize ranging from 315 μm to 1000 μm) were used for this comparison. Measuring the DNA concentration on the seeded scaffolds as well as the seeded cells metabolic activity, we were able to determine freeze-thawed scaffolds to be superior for cell-seeding. ADSC seeded on salt-leaching scaffolds displayed a stronger downregulation of serum deprivation response gene than cells seeded on freeze-thaw scaffolds. In sum, our findings show that salt-leaching scaffolds offering different pore sizes differed much less among each other than salt-leaching from freeze-thawing scaffolds in terms of cell accommodation. Our work underlines the importance of physicochemical scaffold properties directly linked to different manufacturing methods and their influence on the cell seeding capacity of silk fibroin based carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Gao
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery - Burn Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - A M Boos
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery - Burn Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - A Kopp
- Fibrothelium GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - B Isella
- Fibrothelium GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - A Drinic
- Fibrothelium GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - A Heim
- Fibrothelium GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - T Christer
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery - Burn Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - J P Beier
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery - Burn Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - J W Robering
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery - Burn Center, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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2
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Wang Y, Yang Z, Jia B, Chen L, Yan C, Peng F, Mu T, Xue Z. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent-Assisted Construction of Silk Nanofibrils/Boron Nitride Nanosheets Membranes with Enhanced Heat-Dissipating Efficiency. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2403724. [PMID: 39054638 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202403724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Natural polymer-derived nanofibrils have gained significant interest in diverse fields. However, production of bio-nanofibrils with the hierarchical structures such as fibrillar structures and crystalline features remains a great challenge. Herein, an all-natural strategy for simple, green, and scalable top-down exfoliation silk nanofibrils (SNFs) in novel renewable deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed by amino acids and D-sorbitol is innovatively developed. The DES-exfoliated SNFs with a controllable fibrillar structures and intact crystalline features, novelty preserving the hierarchical structure of natural silk fibers. Owing to the amphiphilic nature, the DES-exfoliated SNFs show excellent capacity of assisting the exfoliation of several 2D-layered materials, i.e., h-BN, MoS2, and WS2. More importantly, the SNFs-assisted dispersion of BNNSs with a concentration of 59.3% can be employed to construct SNFs/BNNSs nanocomposite membranes with excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 416.7 MPa, tensile modulus of 3.86 GPa and toughness of 1295.4 KJ·m-3) and thermal conductivity (in-plane thermal conductivity coefficient of 3.84 W·m-1·K-1), enabling it to possess superior cooling efficiency compared with the commercial silicone pad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhaohui Yang
- School of Chemistry and Life Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Bingzheng Jia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Lan Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chuanyu Yan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Feng Peng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Tiancheng Mu
- School of Chemistry and Life Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Zhimin Xue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
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3
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Brookstein O, Shimoni E, Eliaz D, Kaplan-Ashiri I, Carmel I, Shimanovich U. Metal ions guide the production of silkworm silk fibers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6671. [PMID: 39107276 PMCID: PMC11303403 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50879-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Silk fibers' unique mechanical properties have made them desirable materials, yet their formation mechanism remains poorly understood. While ions are known to support silk fiber production, their exact role has thus far eluded discovery. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy coupled with elemental analysis to elucidate the changes in the composition and spatial localization of metal ions during silk evolution inside the silk gland. During the initial protein secretion and storage stages, ions are homogeneously dispersed in the silk gland. Once the fibers are spun, the ions delocalize from the fibroin core to the sericin-coating layer, a process accompanied by protein chain alignment and increased feedstock viscosity. This change makes the protein more shear-sensitive and initiates the liquid-to-solid transition. Selective metal ion doping modifies silk fibers' mechanical performance. These findings enhance our understanding of the silk fiber formation mechanism, laying the foundations for developing new concepts in biomaterial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Brookstein
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eyal Shimoni
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dror Eliaz
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ifat Kaplan-Ashiri
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Itay Carmel
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ulyana Shimanovich
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel.
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4
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Yang XC, Wang XX, Wang CY, Zheng HL, Yin M, Chen KZ, Qiao SL. Silk-based intelligent fibers and textiles: structures, properties, and applications. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:7801-7823. [PMID: 38966911 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc02276a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Multifunctional fibers represent a cornerstone of human civilization, playing a pivotal role in numerous aspects of societal development. Natural biomaterials, in contrast to synthetic alternatives, offer environmental sustainability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Among these biomaterials, natural silk is favored in biomedical applications and smart fiber technology due to its accessibility, superior mechanical properties, diverse functional groups, controllable structure, and exceptional biocompatibility. This review delves into the intricate structure and properties of natural silk fibers and their extensive applications in biomedicine and smart fiber technology. It highlights the critical significance of silk fibers in the development of multifunctional materials, emphasizing their mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. A detailed analysis of the hierarchical structure of silk fibers elucidates how these structural features contribute to their unique properties. The review also encompasses the biomedical applications of silk fibers, including surgical sutures, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems, along with recent advancements in smart fiber applications such as sensing, optical technologies, and energy storage. The enhancement of functional properties of silk fibers through chemical or physical modifications is discussed, suggesting broader high-end applications. Additionally, the review addresses current challenges and future directions in the application of silk fibers in biomedicine and smart fiber technologies, underscoring silk's potential in driving contemporary technological innovations. The versatility and sustainability of silk fibers position them as pivotal elements in contemporary materials science and technology, fostering the development of next-generation smart materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Chun Yang
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Xiao-Xue Wang
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Chen-Yu Wang
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Hong-Long Zheng
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Meng Yin
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Ke-Zheng Chen
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
| | - Sheng-Lin Qiao
- Lab of Functional and Biomedical Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), Qingdao, 266042, P. R. China.
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5
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Liang J, Xu J, Zheng J, Zhou L, Yang W, Liu E, Zhu Y, Zhou Q, Liu Y, Wang R, Liu Z. Bioinspired Mechanically Robust and Recyclable Hydrogel Microfibers Based on Hydrogen-Bond Nanoclusters. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401278. [PMID: 38622885 PMCID: PMC11186113 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mechanically robust hydrogel fibers have demonstrated great potential in energy dissipation and shock-absorbing applications. However, developing such materials that are recyclable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly remains an enormous challenge. Herein, inspired by spider silk, a continuous and scalable method is introduced for spinning a polyacrylamide hydrogel microfiber with a hierarchical sheath-core structure under ambient conditions. Applying pre-stretch and twist in the as-spun hydrogel microfibers results in a tensile strength of 525 MPa, a toughness of 385 MJ m-3, and a damping capacity of 99%, which is attributed to the reinforcement of hydrogen-bond nanoclusters within the microfiber matrix. Moreover, it maintains both structural and mechanical stability for several days, and can be directly dissolved in water, providing a sustainable spinning dope for re-spinning into new microfibers. This work provides a new strategy for the spinning of robust and recyclable hydrogel-based fibrous materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingye Liang
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Jishuai Xu
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Jingxuan Zheng
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Lijuan Zhou
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Weiping Yang
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Enzhao Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ionic‐Molecular Function of Cardiovascular diseaseDepartment of CardiologyTianjin Institute of Cardiologythe Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin300211China
| | - Yutian Zhu
- College of MaterialsChemistry and Chemical EngineeringHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou311121China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of OrthopaedicsTianjin First Central HospitalNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Yong Liu
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Run Wang
- School of Textile Science and EngineeringTiangong University399 West Binshui RoadTianjin300387China
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsCollege of Chemistry Frontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai University94 Weijin RoadTianjin300071China
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6
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Hu CF, Gan CY, Zhu YJ, Xia XX, Qian ZG. Modulating Polyalanine Motifs of Synthetic Spidroin for Controllable Preassembly and Strong Fiber Formation. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:2925-2934. [PMID: 38587986 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Spider dragline (major ampullate) silk is one of the toughest known fibers in nature and exhibits an excellent combination of high tensile strength and elasticity. Increasing evidence has indicated that preassembly plays a crucial role in facilitating the proper assembly of silk fibers by bridging the mesoscale gap between spidroin molecules and the final strong fibers. However, it remains challenging to control the preassembly of spidroins and investigate its influence on fiber structural and mechanical properties. In this study, we explored to bridge this gap by modulating the polyalanine (polyA) motifs in repetitive region of spidroins to tune their preassemblies in aqueous dope solutions. Three biomimetic silk proteins with varying numbers of alanine residues in polyA motif and comparable molecular weights were designed and biosynthesized, termed as N16C-5A, N15C-8A, and N13C-12A, respectively. It was found that all three proteins could form nanofibril assemblies in the concentrated aqueous dopes, but the size and structural stability of the fibrils were distinct from each other. The silk protein N15C-8A with 8 alanine residues in polyA motif allowed for the formation of stable nanofibril assemblies with a length of approximately 200 nm, which were not prone to disassemble or aggregate as that of N16C-5A and N13C-12A. More interestingly, the stable fibril assembly of N15C-8A enabled spinning of simultaneously strong (623.3 MPa) and tough (107.1 MJ m-3) synthetic fibers with fine molecular orientation and close interface packing of fibril bundles. This work highlights that modulation of polyA motifs is a feasible way to tune the morphology and stability of the spidroin preassemblies in dope solutions, thus controlling the structural and mechanical properties of the resulting fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Fei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao-Yi Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Jiao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xia Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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7
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Song K, Wang Y, Dong W, Li Z, Xia Q, Zhu P, He H. Decoding silkworm spinning programmed by pH and metal ions. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:792-802. [PMID: 38245448 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Silk is one of the toughest fibrous materials known despite spun at ambient temperature and pressure with water as a solvent. It is a great challenge to reproduce high-performance artificial fibers comparable to natural silk by bionic for the incomplete understanding of silkworm spinning in vivo. Here, we found that amphipol and digitonin stabilized the structure of natural silk fibroin (NSF) by a large-scale screening in vitro, and then studied the close-to-native ultrastructure and hierarchical assembly of NSF in the silk gland lumen. Our study showed that NSF formed reversible flexible nanofibrils mainly composed of random coils with a sedimentation coefficient of 5.8 S and a diameter of about 4 nm, rather than a micellar or rod-like structure assembled by the aggregation of globular NSF molecules. Metal ions were required for NSF nanofibril formation. The successive pH decrease from posterior silk gland (PSG) to anterior silk gland (ASG) resulted in a gradual increase in NSF hydrophobicity, thus inducing the sol-gelation transition of NSF nanofibrils. NSF nanofibrils were randomly dispersed from PSG to ASG-1, and self-assembled into anisotropic herringbone patterns at ASG-2 near the spinneret ready for silkworm spinning. Our findings reveal the controlled self-assembly mechanism of the multi-scale hierarchical architecture of NSF from nanofibrils to herringbone patterns programmed by metal ions and pH gradient, which provides novel insights into the spinning mechanism of silk-secreting animals and bioinspired design of high-performance fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Song
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yejing Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wenjie Dong
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericultural Science, Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Huawei He
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericultural Science, Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft-Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing, Chongqing 400715, China.
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8
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Greco G, Schmuck B, Jalali SK, Pugno NM, Rising A. Influence of experimental methods on the mechanical properties of silk fibers: A systematic literature review and future road map. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031301. [PMID: 38510706 PMCID: PMC10903380 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Spider silk fibers are of scientific and industrial interest because of their extraordinary mechanical properties. These properties are normally determined by tensile tests, but the values obtained are dependent on the morphology of the fibers, the test conditions, and the methods by which stress and strain are calculated. Because of this, results from many studies are not directly comparable, which has led to widespread misconceptions in the field. Here, we critically review most of the reports from the past 50 years on spider silk mechanical performance and use artificial spider silk and native silks as models to highlight the effect that different experimental setups have on the fibers' mechanical properties. The results clearly illustrate the importance of carefully evaluating the tensile test methods when comparing the results from different studies. Finally, we suggest a protocol for how to perform tensile tests on silk and biobased fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - S. K. Jalali
- Laboratory for Bioinspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta, Materials & Mechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | | | - Anna Rising
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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9
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Miserez A, Yu J, Mohammadi P. Protein-Based Biological Materials: Molecular Design and Artificial Production. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2049-2111. [PMID: 36692900 PMCID: PMC9999432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric materials produced from fossil fuels have been intimately linked to the development of industrial activities in the 20th century and, consequently, to the transformation of our way of living. While this has brought many benefits, the fabrication and disposal of these materials is bringing enormous sustainable challenges. Thus, materials that are produced in a more sustainable fashion and whose degradation products are harmless to the environment are urgently needed. Natural biopolymers─which can compete with and sometimes surpass the performance of synthetic polymers─provide a great source of inspiration. They are made of natural chemicals, under benign environmental conditions, and their degradation products are harmless. Before these materials can be synthetically replicated, it is essential to elucidate their chemical design and biofabrication. For protein-based materials, this means obtaining the complete sequences of the proteinaceous building blocks, a task that historically took decades of research. Thus, we start this review with a historical perspective on early efforts to obtain the primary sequences of load-bearing proteins, followed by the latest developments in sequencing and proteomic technologies that have greatly accelerated sequencing of extracellular proteins. Next, four main classes of protein materials are presented, namely fibrous materials, bioelastomers exhibiting high reversible deformability, hard bulk materials, and biological adhesives. In each class, we focus on the design at the primary and secondary structure levels and discuss their interplays with the mechanical response. We finally discuss earlier and the latest research to artificially produce protein-based materials using biotechnology and synthetic biology, including current developments by start-up companies to scale-up the production of proteinaceous materials in an economically viable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Miserez
- Center
for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and
Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
(NTU), Singapore637553
- School
of Biological Sciences, NTU, Singapore637551
| | - Jing Yu
- Center
for Sustainable Materials (SusMat), School of Materials Science and
Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
(NTU), Singapore637553
- Institute
for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS), NTU, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore637553
| | - Pezhman Mohammadi
- VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, UusimaaFI-02044, Finland
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10
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Nie K, Zhou S, Li H, Tian J, Shen W, Huang W. Advanced silk materials for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1199507. [PMID: 37200844 PMCID: PMC10185897 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1199507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Musculoskeletal diseases are the leading causes of chronic pain and physical disability, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the field of bone and cartilage tissue engineering to combat the limitations of conventional treatments. Among various materials used in musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, silk biomaterials exhibit unique mechanical robustness, versatility, favorable biocompatibility, and tunable biodegradation rate. As silk is an easy-to-process biopolymer, silks have been reformed into various materials formats using advanced bio-fabrication technology for the design of cell niches. Silk proteins also offer active sites for chemical modifications to facilitate musculoskeletal system regeneration. With the emergence of genetic engineering techniques, silk proteins have been further optimized from the molecular level with other functional motifs to introduce new advantageous biological properties. In this review, we highlight the frontiers in engineering natural and recombinant silk biomaterials, as well as recent progress in the applications of these new silks in the field of bone and cartilage regeneration. The future potentials and challenges of silk biomaterials in musculoskeletal tissue engineering are also discussed. This review brings together perspectives from different fields and provides insight into improved musculoskeletal engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Nie
- Centre for Regeneration and Cell Therapy, The Zhejiang University—University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sicheng Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hu Li
- Centre for Regeneration and Cell Therapy, The Zhejiang University—University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Tian
- Centre for Regeneration and Cell Therapy, The Zhejiang University—University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiliang Shen
- Department of Orthopedics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Dr. Li Dak Sum and Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Huang
- Centre for Regeneration and Cell Therapy, The Zhejiang University—University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Orthopedics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Dr. Li Dak Sum and Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenwen Huang,
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11
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Rapid molecular diversification and homogenization of clustered major ampullate silk genes in Argiope garden spiders. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010537. [PMID: 36508456 PMCID: PMC9779670 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary diversification of orb-web weaving spiders is closely tied to the mechanical performance of dragline silk. This proteinaceous fiber provides the primary structural framework of orb web architecture, and its extraordinary toughness allows these structures to absorb the high energy of aerial prey impact. The dominant model of dragline silk molecular structure involves the combined function of two highly repetitive, spider-specific, silk genes (spidroins)-MaSp1 and MaSp2. Recent genomic studies, however, have suggested this framework is overly simplistic, and our understanding of how MaSp genes evolve is limited. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of MaSp structural and evolutionary diversity across species of Argiope (garden spiders). This genomic analysis reveals the largest catalog of MaSp genes found in any spider, driven largely by an expansion of MaSp2 genes. The rapid diversification of Argiope MaSp genes, located primarily in a single genomic cluster, is associated with profound changes in silk gene structure. MaSp2 genes, in particular, have evolved complex hierarchically organized repeat units (ensemble repeats) delineated by novel introns that exhibit remarkable evolutionary dynamics. These repetitive introns have arisen independently within the genus, are highly homogenized within a gene, but diverge rapidly between genes. In some cases, these iterated introns are organized in an alternating structure in which every other intron is nearly identical in sequence. We hypothesize that this intron structure has evolved to facilitate homogenization of the coding sequence. We also find evidence of intergenic gene conversion and identify a more diverse array of stereotypical amino acid repeats than previously recognized. Overall, the extreme diversification found among MaSp genes requires changes in the structure-function model of dragline silk performance that focuses on the differential use and interaction among various MaSp paralogs as well as the impact of ensemble repeat structure and different amino acid motifs on mechanical behavior.
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Wang Y, Wu Z, Zhou L, Chen X, Guan J, Shao Z. Peculiar Tensile and Fracture Behaviors of Natural Silk Fiber in the Presence of an Artificial Notch. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zihong Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Innovation Center of Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Juan Guan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Innovation Center of Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengzhong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China
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13
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Polyester-Based Coatings for Corrosion Protection. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14163413. [PMID: 36015670 PMCID: PMC9415685 DOI: 10.3390/polym14163413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The article is the first review encompassing the study and the applications of polyester-based coatings for the corrosion protection of steel. The impact of corrosion and the challenges encountered thus far and the solutions encountered in industry are addressed. Then, the use of polyesters as a promising alternative to current methods, such as phosphating, chromating, galvanization, and inhibitors, are highlighted. The classifications of polyesters and the network structure determine the overall applications and performance of the polymer. The review provides new trends in green chemistry and smart and bio-based polyester-based coatings. Finally, the different applications of polyesters are covered; specifically, the use of polyesters in surface coatings and for other industrial uses is discussed.
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14
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Cohen N, Eisenbach CD. Humidity-Driven Supercontraction and Twist in Spider Silk. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:098101. [PMID: 35302814 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.098101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a protein material that exhibits extraordinary and nontrivial properties such as the ability to soften, decrease in length (i.e., supercontract), and twist upon exposure to high humidity. These behaviors stem from a unique microstructure in combination with a transition from glassy to rubbery as a result of humidity-driven diffusion of water. In this Letter we propose four length scales that govern the mechanical response of the silk during this transition. In addition, we develop a model that describes the microstructural evolution of the spider silk thread and explains the response due to the diffusion of water molecules. The merit of the model is demonstrated through an excellent agreement to experimental findings. The insights from this Letter can be used as a microstructural design guide to enable the development of new materials with unique spiderlike properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noy Cohen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Claus D Eisenbach
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA and Institute for Polymer Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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15
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Wu R, Ma L, Liu XY. From Mesoscopic Functionalization of Silk Fibroin to Smart Fiber Devices for Textile Electronics and Photonics. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103981. [PMID: 34802200 PMCID: PMC8811810 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Bombyx mori silk fibers exhibit significant potential for applications in smart textiles, such as fiber sensors, fiber actuators, optical fibers, and energy harvester. Silk fibroin (SF) from B. mori silkworm fibers can be reconstructed/functionalized at the mesoscopic scale during refolding from the solution state into fibers. This facilitates the mesoscopic functionalization by engaging functional seeds in the refolding of unfolded SF molecules. In particular, SF solutions can be self-assembled into regenerated fiber devices by artificial spinning technologies, such as wet spinning, dry spinning, microfluidic spinning, electrospinning, and direct writing. Meso-functionalization manipulates the SF property from the mesoscopic scale, transforming the original silk fibers into smart fiber devices with smart functionalities, such as sensors, actuators, optical fibers, luminous fibers, and energy harvesters. In this review, the progress of mesoscopic structural construction from SF materials to fiber electronics/photonics is comprehensively summarized, along with the spinning technologies and fiber structure characterization methods. The applications, prospects, and challenges of smart silk fibers in textile devices for wearable personalized healthcare, self-propelled exoskeletons, optical and luminous fibers, and sustainable energy harvesters are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghui Wu
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL)Xiamen361005P. R. China
| | - Liyun Ma
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL)Xiamen361005P. R. China
| | - Xiang Yang Liu
- College of Ocean and Earth SciencesState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL)Xiamen361005P. R. China
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16
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Li J, Li S, Huang J, Khan AQ, An B, Zhou X, Liu Z, Zhu M. Spider Silk-Inspired Artificial Fibers. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103965. [PMID: 34927397 PMCID: PMC8844500 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Spider silk is a natural polymeric fiber with high tensile strength, toughness, and has distinct thermal, optical, and biocompatible properties. The mechanical properties of spider silk are ascribed to its hierarchical structure, including primary and secondary structures of the spidroins (spider silk proteins), the nanofibril, the "core-shell", and the "nano-fishnet" structures. In addition, spider silk also exhibits remarkable properties regarding humidity/water response, water collection, light transmission, thermal conductance, and shape-memory effect. This motivates researchers to prepare artificial functional fibers mimicking spider silk. In this review, the authors summarize the study of the structure and properties of natural spider silk, and the biomimetic preparation of artificial fibers from different types of molecules and polymers by taking some examples of artificial fibers exhibiting these interesting properties. In conclusion, biomimetic studies have yielded several noteworthy findings in artificial fibers with different functions, and this review aims to provide indications for biomimetic studies of functional fibers that approach and exceed the properties of natural spider silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Sitong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Jiayi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Abdul Qadeer Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
| | - Baigang An
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of ScienceChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing211198China
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical BiologyCollege of Pharmacy and College of ChemistryKey Laboratory of Functional Polymer MaterialsFrontiers Science Center for New Organic MatterNankai UniversityTianjin300071China
- School of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Science and Technology LiaoningAnshan114051China
| | - Meifang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer MaterialsCollege of Materials Science and EngineeringDonghua UniversityShanghai201620China
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17
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Structure of Animal Silks. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2347:3-15. [PMID: 34472050 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1574-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As an abundant fibrous protein, animal silks have received a variety of interests in both traditional and high-tech industries, such as textiles, decoration, and biomedicine, due to their unique advantages in mechanical performance, sustainability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. While developing applications of animal silks, the structure of animal silks has also received more and more attention in these decades. Briefly, most animal silks can be considered as semicrystalline fibers, which are composed of β-sheet nanocrystals and amorphous regions. However, different animal silks have similarities and also have obvious differences at different structural levels. In this chapter, we will introduce the structures of the three most representative animal silks, that is, spider dragline silk, tussah silk, and mulberry silk. The similarities and differences in their structures will be highlighted, so as to provide fundamental guidance for the research and use of these animal silks.
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18
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Craig H, Yao Y, Ariotti N, Setty M, Ramadevi R, Kasumovic MM, Rajkhowa R, Rawal A, Blamires SJ. Nanovoid formation induces property variation within and across individual silkworm silk threads. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:5561-5570. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb00357k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Silk is a unique fiber, having a strength and toughness that exceeds other natural fibers. While inroads have been made in our understanding of silkworm silk structure and function, few...
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19
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Wang X, Tan X, Liu Q, Li Y, Li X, Dong Z, Dong H, Xia Q, Zhao P. Fiber Formation and Mechanical Properties of Bombyx mori Silk Are Regulated by Vacuolar-Type ATPase. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:5532-5540. [PMID: 34753284 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of silk fiber formation in silkworms, Bombyx mori, is of particular scientific interest because it is closely related to the mechanical properties of silk fibers. However, there are still substantial knowledge gaps in understanding the details of this mechanism. Studies have found a pH gradient in the silk gland of silkworms. A vacuolar-type ATPase (V-ATPase) is thought to be involved in establishing this pH gradient. Although it is reported that the pH gradient plays a role in silk fibrillogenesis, the direct relationship between V-ATPase and silk mechanical properties is unclear. Thus, this study aims to clarify this relationship. We found that V-ATPase is highly and stably expressed in the anterior silk gland (ASG) and maintains the pH gradient and the fine structure of ASG. Inhibition of V-ATPase activity increased the β-sheet content and crystallinity of silk fibers. Tensile testing showed that the mechanical properties of silk fibers improved after inhibiting V-ATPase activity. All the data suggest that V-ATPase is a key factor in regulating silk fibrillogenesis and is related to the final mechanical properties of the silk fibers. V-ATPase is a potential target for silk mechanical property improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaoyin Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xinning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhaoming Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Haonan Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Novel Silk Materials, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
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20
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Isolation of Nanofibrils from Animal Silks. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34472062 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1574-4_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The presence of well-organized nanofibrils in animal silks is considered to provide them excellent mechanical and biochemical properties. To direct utilize these unique natural nanomaterials, a variety of physical and/or chemical processes have been developed for directly isolating silk nanofibrils from animal silks. The yield and processability of these techniques as well as the morphologies of resultant silk nanofibrils have apparent differences but also have their own merits. In this chapter, I presented the protocols for isolation silk nanofibrils, including a physical approach of sonication, a chemical approach of salt-formic acid dissolution, as well as three combination approaches, hexafluoroisopropanol liquid exfoliation, urea-guanidine hydrochloride dissolution, and sodium hypochlorite partial dissolution.
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21
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Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
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22
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Rehan M, El-Naggar ME, Al-Enizi AM, Alothman AA, Nafady A, Abdelhameed RM. Development of silk fibers decorated with the in situ synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles: antimicrobial activity and creatinine adsorption capacity. J IND ENG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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23
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Wang W, Long H, Chen L, Liu Y, Li Q. Ultrasonics induced variations in molecular structure and tensile properties of silk fibers in a chemical free environment. NANO SELECT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wuchao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Biomaterial Fiber and Modern Textile, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Science Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Haofan Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Biomaterial Fiber and Modern Textile, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Science Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Biomaterial Fiber and Modern Textile, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Science Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Yuqing Liu
- College of Textile and Clothing Engineering Soochow University Suzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Biomaterial Fiber and Modern Textile, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Science Southwest University Chongqing China
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24
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Li D, Wang Q, Xu C, Cheng Y, Zhang YW, Ji B. How Does Nature Evade the "Larger is Weaker" Fate of Ultralong Silk β-Sheet Nanocrystallites. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:8516-8523. [PMID: 33054228 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Silk protein builds up one of the strongest fibers superior to most synthetic and natural polymers. However, the strengthening mechanisms of the silk proteins remain largely elusive because of their complex nanocomposite structures. Here, we report an unusual behavior of this kind of material that is distinctively different from those of metals and other polymers. We find that there are multiple interface microcracks nucleating and stacking under the shear loading, dividing the interchain interface into small segments, by which the silk protein can achieve a high strength even with the ultralong chains. This is a new strategy of microstructure design of soft matter that could avoid the "larger is weaker" fate due to the increase of the chain length. This novel mechanism is crucial for building strong polymer materials with long chain molecules and at the same time retaining their complex functional and structural properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dechang Li
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qianchun Wang
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Changjian Xu
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632, Singapore
| | - Yong-Wei Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632, Singapore
| | - Baohua Ji
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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Kostag M, Jedvert K, El Seoud OA. Engineering of sustainable biomaterial composites from cellulose and silk fibroin: Fundamentals and applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 167:687-718. [PMID: 33249159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This review addresses composites prepared from cellulose (Cel) and silk fibroin (SF) to generate multifunctional, biocompatible, biodegradable materials such as fibers, films and scaffolds for tissue engineering. First, we discuss briefly the molecular structures of Cel and SF. Their structural features explain why certain solvents, e.g., ionic liquids, inorganic electrolyte solutions dissolve both biopolymers. We discuss the mechanisms of Cel dissolution because in many cases they also apply to (much less studied) SF dissolution. Subsequently, we discuss the fabrication and characterization of Cel/SF composite biomaterials. We show how the composition of these materials beneficially affects their mechanical properties, compared to those of the precursor biopolymers. We also show that Cel/SF materials are excellent and versatile candidates for biomedical applications because of the inherent biocompatibility of their components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Kostag
- Institute of Chemistry, The University of São Paulo, Professor Lineu Prestes Av. 748, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Kerstin Jedvert
- Fiber Development, Materials and Production, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE IVF), Box 104, SE-431 22 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Omar A El Seoud
- Institute of Chemistry, The University of São Paulo, Professor Lineu Prestes Av. 748, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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26
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Dong X, Zhao H, Li J, Tian Y, Zeng H, Ramos MA, Hu TS, Xu Q. Progress in Bioinspired Dry and Wet Gradient Materials from Design Principles to Engineering Applications. iScience 2020; 23:101749. [PMID: 33241197 PMCID: PMC7672307 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature does nothing in vain. Through millions of years of revolution, living organisms have evolved hierarchical and anisotropic structures to maximize their survival in complex and dynamic environments. Many of these structures are intrinsically heterogeneous and often with functional gradient distributions. Understanding the convergent and divergent gradient designs in the natural material systems may lead to a new paradigm shift in the development of next-generation high-performance bio-/nano-materials and devices that are critically needed in energy, environmental remediation, and biomedical fields. Herein, we review the basic design principles and highlight some of the prominent examples of gradient biological materials/structures discovered over the past few decades. Interestingly, despite the anisotropic features in one direction (i.e., in terms of gradient compositions and properties), these natural structures retain certain levels of symmetry, including point symmetry, axial symmetry, mirror symmetry, and 3D symmetry. We further demonstrate the state-of-the-art fabrication techniques and procedures in making the biomimetic counterparts. Some prototypes showcase optimized properties surpassing those seen in the biological model systems. Finally, we summarize the latest applications of these synthetic functional gradient materials and structures in robotics, biomedical, energy, and environmental fields, along with their future perspectives. This review may stimulate scientists, engineers, and inventors to explore this emerging and disruptive research methodology and endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Jiapeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Yu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongbo Zeng
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Melvin A Ramos
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Travis Shihao Hu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Quan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
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27
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Xiao Y, Liu Y, Zhang W, Qi P, Ren J, Pei Y, Ling S. Formation, Structure, and Mechanical Performance of Silk Nanofibrils Produced by Heat-Induced Self-Assembly. Macromol Rapid Commun 2020; 42:e2000435. [PMID: 33196127 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202000435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The heat-induced self-assembly of silk fibroin (SF) is studied by combing fluorescence assessment, infrared nanospectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering, and Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov coupled with atomic force microscopy. Several fundamental issues regarding the formation, structure, and mechanical performance of silk nanofibrils (SNFs) under heat-induced self-assembly are discussed. Accordingly, SF in aqueous solution is rod-like in shape and not micellar. The formation of SNFs occurs through nucleation-dependent aggregation, but the assembly period is variable and irregular. SF shows inherent fractal growth, and this trend is critical for the short-term assembly. The long-term assembly of SF, however, mainly involves an elongation growth process. SNFs produced by different methods, such as ethanol treatment and heat incubation, have similar secondary structure and mechanical properties. These investigations improve the in-depth understanding of fundamental issues related to self-assembly of SNFs, and thus provide inspiration and guidance in designing of silk nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuelong Xiao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yawen Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ping Qi
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jing Ren
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ying Pei
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
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28
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Zhang Y, Tu H, Wu R, Patil A, Hou C, Lin Z, Meng Z, Ma L, Yu R, Yu W, Liu XY. Programing Performance of Silk Fibroin Superstrong Scaffolds by Mesoscopic Regulation among Hierarchical Structures. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:4169-4179. [PMID: 32909737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To design higher-strength natural scaffold materials, wool keratin (WK) rich in α-helix structures is used as a well-defined foreign substrate, which induces the formation of β-crystallites in silk fibroin (SF). Consequently, the macroscopic properties of silk materials (such as the rheological properties of SF hydrogels and the mechanical properties of stents) can be manipulated by governing the change in the hierarchical mesoscopic structure of silk materials. In this work, by monitoring the structure and morphology in the SF gel process, the mechanism of the effect of keratin on SF network formation was speculated, which was further used to design ultra-high-strength protein scaffolds. It has been confirmed that WK accelerates the gelation of SF by reducing the multistep nucleation barrier and increasing the primary nucleation sites, and then establishing a high-density SF domain network. The modulus of the protein composite scaffold prepared by this facile strategy can reach 11.55 MPa, and the MC-3T3 cells can grow well on the scaffold surface. The results suggest that freeze-dried biocompatible SF-based scaffolds are potential candidates for bone tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhang
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore.,Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.,Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Huang Tu
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.,Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Ronghui Wu
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore.,Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.,Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Aniruddha Patil
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chen Hou
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zaifu Lin
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zhaohui Meng
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Liyun Ma
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.,Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Rui Yu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Weidong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Xiang Yang Liu
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore
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29
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Fraternali F, Stehling N, Amendola A, Tiban Anrango BA, Holland C, Rodenburg C. Tensegrity Modelling and the High Toughness of Spider Dragline Silk. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E1510. [PMID: 32752054 PMCID: PMC7466511 DOI: 10.3390/nano10081510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This work establishes a tensegrity model of spider dragline silk. Tensegrity systems are ubiquitous in nature, being able to capture the mechanics of biological shapes through simple and effective modes of deformation via extension and contraction. Guided by quantitative microstructural characterization via air plasma etching and low voltage scanning electron microscopy, we report that this model is able to capture experimentally observed phenomena such as the Poisson effect, tensile stress-strain response, and fibre toughness. This is achieved by accounting for spider silks' hierarchical organization into microfibrils with radially variable properties. Each fibril is described as a chain of polypeptide tensegrity units formed by crystalline granules operating under compression, which are connected to each other by amorphous links acting under tension. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that a radial variability in the ductility of tensegrity chains is responsible for high fibre toughness, a defining and desirable feature of spider silk. Based on this model, a discussion about the use of graded tensegrity structures for the optimal design of next-generation biomimetic fibres is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Fraternali
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Nicola Stehling
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Ada Amendola
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Bryan Andres Tiban Anrango
- Centre for Biomedical and Chemical Science School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Cornelia Rodenburg
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
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30
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Ma L, Liu Q, Wu R, Meng Z, Patil A, Yu R, Yang Y, Zhu S, Fan X, Hou C, Li Y, Qiu W, Huang L, Wang J, Lin N, Wan Y, Hu J, Liu XY. From Molecular Reconstruction of Mesoscopic Functional Conductive Silk Fibrous Materials to Remote Respiration Monitoring. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2000203. [PMID: 32452630 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202000203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Turning insulating silk fibroin materials into conductive ones turns out to be the essential step toward achieving active silk flexible electronics. This work aims to acquire electrically conductive biocompatible fibers of regenerated Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) materials based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) templated nucleation reconstruction of silk fibroin networks. The electronical conductivity of the reconstructed mesoscopic functional fibers can be tuned by the density of the incorporated CNTs. It follows that the hybrid fibers experience an abrupt increase in conductivity when exceeding the percolation threshold of CNTs >35 wt%, which leads to the highest conductivity of 638.9 S m-1 among organic-carbon-based hybrid fibers, and 8 times higher than the best available materials of the similar types. In addition, the silk-CNT mesoscopic hybrid materials achieve some new functionalities, i.e., humidity-responsive conductivity, which is attributed to the coupling of the humidity inducing cyclic contraction of SFs and the conductivity of CNTs. The silk-CNT materials, as a type of biocompatible electronic functional fibrous material for pressure and electric response humidity sensing, are further fabricated into a smart facial mask to implement respiration condition monitoring for remote diagnosis and medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyun Ma
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
- College of Textile and Clothing, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830000, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Institute of Advanced Materials, East China JiaoTong University, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Ronghui Wu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117542, Singapore
| | - Zhaohui Meng
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Aniruddha Patil
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Rui Yu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yun Yang
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Shuihong Zhu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Xuwei Fan
- Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Chen Hou
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yanran Li
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Wu Qiu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Lianfen Huang
- Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, P. R. China
| | - Naibo Lin
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yizao Wan
- Institute of Advanced Materials, East China JiaoTong University, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Jian Hu
- Institute of Advanced Materials, East China JiaoTong University, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Yang Liu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, College of Physical Science and Technology, College of Materials, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Jiujiang Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Institute of Advanced Materials, East China JiaoTong University, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
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31
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Kiseleva AP, Krivoshapkin PV, Krivoshapkina EF. Recent Advances in Development of Functional Spider Silk-Based Hybrid Materials. Front Chem 2020; 8:554. [PMID: 32695749 PMCID: PMC7338834 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Silkworm silk is mainly known as a luxurious textile. Spider silk is an alternative to silkworm silk fibers and has much more outstanding properties. Silk diversity ensures variation in its application in nature and industry. This review aims to provide a critical summary of up-to-date fabrication methods of spider silk-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials. This paper focuses on the relationship between the molecular structure of spider silk and its mechanical properties. Such knowledge is essential for understanding the innate properties of spider silk as it provides insight into the sophisticated assembly processes of silk proteins into the distinct polymers as a basis for novel products. In this context, we describe the development of spider silk-based hybrids using both natural and bioengineered spider silk proteins blended with inorganic nanoparticles. The following topics are also covered: the diversity of spider silk, its composition and architecture, the differences between silkworm silk and spider silk, and the biosynthesis of natural silk. Referencing biochemical data and processes, this paper outlines the existing challenges and future outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elena F. Krivoshapkina
- Laboratory of Solution Chemistry of Advanced Materials and Technologies, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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32
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On the Secondary Structure of Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles Obtained Using Ionic Liquids: An Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:polym12061294. [PMID: 32516911 PMCID: PMC7361871 DOI: 10.3390/polym12061294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Silk fibroin from Bombyx mori caterpillar is an outstanding biocompatible polymer for the production of biomaterials. Its impressive combination of strength, flexibility, and degradability are related to the protein’s secondary structure, which may be altered during the manufacture of the biomaterial. The present study looks at the silk fibroin secondary structure during nanoparticle production using ionic liquids and high-power ultrasound using novel infrared spectroscopic approaches. The infrared spectrum of silk fibroin fibers shows that they are composed of 58% β-sheet, 9% turns, and 33% irregular and/or turn-like structures. When fibroin was dissolved in ionic liquids, its amide I band resembled that of soluble silk and no β-sheet absorption was detected. Silk fibroin nanoparticles regenerated from the ionic liquid solution exhibited an amide I band that resembled that of the silk fibers but had a reduced β-sheet content and a corresponding higher content of turns, suggesting an incomplete turn-to-sheet transition during the regeneration process. Both the analysis of the experimental infrared spectrum and spectrum calculations suggest a particular type of β-sheet structure that was involved in this deficiency, whereas the two other types of β-sheet structure found in silk fibroin fibers were readily formed.
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33
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Li S, Hang Y, Ding Z, Lu Q, Lu G, Chen H, Kaplan DL. Microfluidic Silk Fibers with Aligned Hierarchical Microstructures. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:2847-2854. [PMID: 33463289 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The hierarchical structure of the ECM provides specific niches for tissues to regulate cell behavior, yet the challenge remains to design biomaterial systems for tissue regeneration to recreate such features in vitro. Here, we achieved this goal through the use of aligned hierarchical structures of native silk fibers, generated through the integration of "bottom-up" and "top-down" strategies to generate regenerated silk fibers with aligned nano- to micro-hierarchical structures. To achieve these designs, we assembled and dispersed silk nanofibers (SNF) in formic acid and spun them into fibers using bioinspired microfluidic chips with a geometry mimicking the native silk gland. The fibers generated using this device exhibited aligned hierarchical structure with fiber mechanical properties superior to fibers derived from more traditional spinning approaches with regenerated silk solutions. Besides the improved mechanical properties, Raman spectroscopic results indicated similarly aligned structures to native fibers and active control of cell proliferation, migration, and aggregate orientation. The results indicate the feasibility of developing bioactive silk fiber materials with hierarchical structures to facilitate utility in a range of cell and tissue regeneration scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Li
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214041, China.,College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yingjie Hang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zhaozhao Ding
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214041, China
| | - Qiang Lu
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214041, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Guozhong Lu
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214041, China
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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34
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Bessonov I, Moysenovich A, Arkhipova A, Ezernitskaya M, Efremov Y, Solodilov V, Timashev P, Shaytan K, Shtil A, Moisenovich M. The Mechanical Properties, Secondary Structure, and Osteogenic Activity of Photopolymerized Fibroin. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E646. [PMID: 32178313 PMCID: PMC7182815 DOI: 10.3390/polym12030646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we have described the preparation of a novel fibroin methacrylamide (FbMA), a polymer network with improved functionality, capable of photocrosslinking into Fb hydrogels with elevated stiffness. However, it was unclear how this new functionality affects the structure of the material and its beta-sheet-associated crystallinity. Here, we show that the proposed method of Fb methacrylation does not disturb the protein's ability to self-aggregate into the stable beta-sheet-based crystalline domains. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows that, although the precursor ethanol-untreated Fb films exhibited a slightly higher degree of beta-sheet content than the FbMA films (46.9% for Fb-F-aq and 41.5% for FbMA-F-aq), both materials could equally achieve the highest possible beta-sheet content after ethanol treatment (49.8% for Fb-F-et and 49.0% for FbMA-F-et). The elasticity modulus for the FbMA-F-et films was twofold higher than that of the Fb-F-et as measured by the uniaxial tension (130 ± 1 MPa vs. 64 ± 6 MPa), and 1.4 times higher (51 ± 11 MPa vs. 36 ± 4 MPa) as measured by atomic force microscopy. The culturing of human MG63 osteoblast-like cells on Fb-F-et, FbMA-F-et-w/oUV, and FbMA-F-et substrates revealed that the photocrosslinking-induced increment of stiffness increases the area covered by the cells, rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton, and vinculin distribution in focal contacts, altogether enhancing the osteoinductive activity of the substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Bessonov
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (I.B.); (A.M.); (A.A.); (K.S.)
- JSC Efferon, 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia Moysenovich
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (I.B.); (A.M.); (A.A.); (K.S.)
| | - Anastasia Arkhipova
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (I.B.); (A.M.); (A.A.); (K.S.)
- Regional Research and Clinical Institute (“MONIKI”), 129110 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mariam Ezernitskaya
- A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Yuri Efremov
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (Y.E.); (P.T.)
| | - Vitaliy Solodilov
- Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Peter Timashev
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (Y.E.); (P.T.)
- Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Konstantin Shaytan
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (I.B.); (A.M.); (A.A.); (K.S.)
| | - Alexander Shtil
- Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, 115478 Moscow, Russia;
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Moisenovich
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia; (I.B.); (A.M.); (A.A.); (K.S.)
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35
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Jo YK, Lee D. Biopolymer Microparticles Prepared by Microfluidics for Biomedical Applications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903736. [PMID: 31559690 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biopolymers are macromolecules that are derived from natural sources and have attractive properties for a plethora of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, low antigenicity, and high bioactivity. Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful approach for fabricating polymeric microparticles (MPs) with designed structures and compositions through precise manipulation of multiphasic flows at the microscale. The synergistic combination of materials chemistry afforded by biopolymers and precision provided by microfluidic capabilities make it possible to design engineered biopolymer-based MPs with well-defined physicochemical properties that are capable of enabling an efficient delivery of therapeutics, 3D culture of cells, and sensing of biomolecules. Here, an overview of microfluidic approaches is provided for the design and fabrication of functional MPs from three classes of biopolymers including polysaccharides, proteins, and microbial polymers, and their advances for biomedical applications are highlighted. An outlook into the future research on microfluidically-produced biopolymer MPs for biomedical applications is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Kee Jo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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36
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Tailoring silk fibroin separator membranes pore size for improving performance of lithium ion batteries. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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37
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Li D, Fan Y, Han G, Guo Z. Superomniphobic Silk Fibroin/Ag Nanowires Membrane for Flexible and Transparent Electronic Sensor. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:10039-10049. [PMID: 32017854 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b23378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Superwetting surfaces that repel various liquids have been exciting for biomimetic research and have displayed versatile potential applications. Generally, superhydrophobic coatings can allow for droplet rolling off and antifouling, whereas it is a challenge to achieve superomniphobic surfaces with transparency, flexibility, and conductivity. Here, we adopt an effective and simple method to fabricate a superomniphobic, transparent, and flexible smart silk fibroin (SF) membrane by spray-coating long AgNWs dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), followed by treatment with vacuum drying. The resulting SF/AgNWs membranes are super-repellent to different liquids with low surface tension and water, and demonstrate high contact angles (CAs) more than 150° and low rolling-off angles (RAs) even less than 10°. Moreover, the obtained membranes display superior sensitivity under stretching and bending, as well as intact stability of high transparency, which can be considered as promising flexible sensing electronics to detect human motions under wet conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deke Li
- School of Materials Engineering , Lanzhou Institute of Technology , Lanzhou 730050 , People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yufeng Fan
- School of Materials Engineering , Lanzhou Institute of Technology , Lanzhou 730050 , People's Republic of China
| | - Guocai Han
- School of Materials Engineering , Lanzhou Institute of Technology , Lanzhou 730050 , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiguang Guo
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials , Hubei University , Wuhan 430062 , People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , People's Republic of China
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38
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Liang Y, Allardyce BJ, Kalita S, Uddin MG, Shafei S, Perera D, Remadevi RCN, Redmond SL, Batchelor WJ, Barrow CJ, Dilley RJ, Schniepp HC, Wang X, Rajkhowa R. Protein Paper from Exfoliated Eri Silk Nanofibers. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:1303-1314. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Liang
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | | | - Sanjeeb Kalita
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Mohammad Gias Uddin
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Sajjad Shafei
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Dinidu Perera
- Department of Applied Science, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795, United States
| | | | - Sharon Leanne Redmond
- Ear Science Institute Australia and Ear Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - Warren Jeffrey Batchelor
- Bioresource Processing Institute of Australia, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Colin J. Barrow
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Rodney J. Dilley
- Ear Science Institute Australia and Ear Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - Hannes C. Schniepp
- Department of Applied Science, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795, United States
| | - Xungai Wang
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Rangam Rajkhowa
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
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39
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Dong Q, Fang G, Huang Y, Hu L, Yao J, Shao Z, Ling S, Chen X. Effect of stress on the molecular structure and mechanical properties of supercontracted spider dragline silks. J Mater Chem B 2020; 8:168-176. [PMID: 31789330 DOI: 10.1039/c9tb02032b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Supercontraction is one of the most interesting properties of spider dragline silks. In this study, changes in the secondary structures of the Nephila edulis spider dragline silk after it was subjected to different supercontraction processes were investigated by integrating synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (S-FTIR) microspectroscopy and mechanical characterization. The results showed that after free supercontraction, the β-sheet lost most of its orientation, while the helix and random coils were almost totally disordered. Interestingly, by conducting different types of supercontractions (i.e., stretching of the free supercontracted spider dragline silk to its original length or performing constrained supercontraction), it was found that although the molecular structures all changed after supercontraction, the mechanical properties almost remained unchanged when the length of the spider dragline silk did not change significantly. The other interesting conclusion obtained is that the manual stretching of a poorly oriented spider dragline silk cannot selectively improve the orientation degree of the β-sheet in the spider silk, but increase the orientation degree of all conformations (β-sheet, helix, and random). These experimental findings not only help to unveil the structure-property-function relationship of natural spider silks, but also provide a useful guideline for the design of biomimetic spider fiber materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guangqiang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yufang Huang
- Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Linli Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinrong Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhengzhong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
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40
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Peng CA, Kozubowski L, Marcotte WR. Advances in Plant-Derived Scaffold Proteins. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:122. [PMID: 32161608 PMCID: PMC7052361 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Scaffold proteins form critical biomatrices that support cell adhesion and proliferation for regenerative medicine and drug screening. The increasing demand for such applications urges solutions for cost effective and sustainable supplies of hypoallergenic and biocompatible scaffold proteins. Here, we summarize recent efforts in obtaining plant-derived biosynthetic spider silk analogue and the extracellular matrix protein, collagen. Both proteins are composed of a large number of tandem block repeats, which makes production in bacterial hosts challenging. Furthermore, post-translational modification of collagen is essential for its function which requires co-transformation of multiple copies of human prolyl 4-hydroxylase. We discuss our perspectives on how the GAANTRY system could potentially assist the production of native-sized spider dragline silk proteins and prolyl hydroxylated collagen. The potential of recombinant scaffold proteins in drug delivery and drug discovery is also addressed.
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41
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Qiu W, Patil A, Hu F, Liu XY. Hierarchical Structure of Silk Materials Versus Mechanical Performance and Mesoscopic Engineering Principles. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1903948. [PMID: 31657136 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive review on the five levels of hierarchical structures of silk materials and the correlation with macroscopic properties/performance of the silk materials, that is, the toughness, strain-stiffening, etc., is presented. It follows that the crystalline binding force turns out to be very important in the stabilization of silk materials, while the β-crystallite networks or nanofibrils and the interactions among helical nanofibrils are two of the most essential structural elements, which to a large extent determine the macroscopic performance of various forms of silk materials. In this context, the characteristic structural factors such as the orientation, size, and density of β-crystallites are very crucial. It is revealed that the formation of these structural elements is mainly controlled by the intermolecular nucleation of β-crystallites. Consequently, the rational design and reconstruction of silk materials can be implemented by controlling the molecular nucleation via applying sheering force and seeding (i.e., with carbon nanotubes). In general, the knowledge of the correlation between hierarchical structures and performance provides an understanding of the structural reasons behind the fascinating behaviors of silk materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Qiu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Key Provincial Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology & College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Aniruddha Patil
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Key Provincial Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology & College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Fan Hu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Key Provincial Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology & College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Advanced Soft Matter Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Xiang Yang Liu
- Research Institution for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Key Provincial Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology & College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117542, Singapore
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42
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Dou Y, Wang ZP, He W, Jia T, Liu Z, Sun P, Wen K, Gao E, Zhou X, Hu X, Li J, Fang S, Qian D, Liu Z. Artificial spider silk from ion-doped and twisted core-sheath hydrogel fibres. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5293. [PMID: 31757964 PMCID: PMC6874677 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13257-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider silks show unique combinations of strength, toughness, extensibility, and energy absorption. To date, it has been difficult to obtain spider silk-like mechanical properties using non-protein approaches. Here, we report on an artificial spider silk produced by the water-evaporation-induced self-assembly of hydrogel fibre made from polyacrylic acid and silica nanoparticles. The artificial spider silk consists of hierarchical core-sheath structured hydrogel fibres, which are reinforced by ion doping and twist insertion. The fibre exhibits a tensile strength of 895 MPa and a stretchability of 44.3%, achieving mechanical properties comparable to spider silk. The material also presents a high toughness of 370 MJ m-3 and a damping capacity of 95%. The hydrogel fibre shows only ~1/9 of the impact force of cotton yarn with negligible rebound when used for impact reduction applications. This work opens an avenue towards the fabrication of artificial spider silk with applications in kinetic energy buffering and shock-absorbing.
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Grants
- the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant 2017YFB0307000), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants U1533122 and 51773094), the National Robotics Programme (Grant 172 25 00063) funded by A*STAR-SERC, Singapore, the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (grant 18JCZDJC36800), the Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Tianjin (grant 18JCJQJC46600), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant 63171219), the State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibres and Polymer Materials, Donghua University LK1704, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (grant 63191139), the National Science Foundation (grant CMMI-1727960).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhen-Pei Wang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR Research Entities, Singapore, 138632, Singapore
| | - Wenqian He
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianjiao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuangjian Liu
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR Research Entities, Singapore, 138632, Singapore
| | - Pingchuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Kai Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 211198, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Enlai Gao
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 211198, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China
| | - Shaoli Fang
- Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Dong Qian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China.
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43
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Zhong J, Liu Y, Ren J, Tang Y, Qi Z, Zhou X, Chen X, Shao Z, Chen M, Kaplan DL, Ling S. Understanding Secondary Structures of Silk Materials via Micro- and Nano-Infrared Spectroscopies. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:3161-3183. [PMID: 33405510 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The secondary structures (also termed conformations) of silk fibroin (SF) in animal silk fibers and regenerated SF materials are critical in determining mechanical performance and function of the materials. In order to understand the structure-mechanics-function relationships of silk materials, a variety of advanced infrared spectroscopic techniques, such as micro-infrared spectroscopies (micro-IR spectroscopies for short), synchrotron micro-IR spectroscopy, and nano-infrared spectroscopies (nano-IR spectroscopies for short), have been used to determine the conformations of SF in silk materials. These IR spectroscopic methods provide a useful toolkit to understand conformations and conformational transitions of SF in various silk materials with spatial resolution from the nano-scale to the micro-scale. In this Review, we first summarize progress in understanding the structure and structure-mechanics relationships of silk materials. We then discuss the state-of-the-art micro- and nano-IR spectroscopic techniques used for silk materials characterization. We also provide a systematic discussion of the strategies to collect high-quality spectra and the methods to analyze these spectra. Finally, we demonstrate the challenges and directions for future exploration of silk-based materials with IR spectroscopies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Zhong
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yawen Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jing Ren
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yuzhao Tang
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zeming Qi
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhou
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhengzhong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Min Chen
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
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44
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Ye D, Lei X, Li T, Cheng Q, Chang C, Hu L, Zhang L. Ultrahigh Tough, Super Clear, and Highly Anisotropic Nanofiber-Structured Regenerated Cellulose Films. ACS NANO 2019; 13:4843-4853. [PMID: 30943014 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b02081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
While tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing environmentally friendly films made from natural polymers and renewable resources, in particular, multifunctional films featuring extraordinary mechanical properties, optical performance, and ordered nanostructure, challenges still remain in achieving all these characteristics in a single material via a scalable process. Here, we designed a green route to fabricating strong, super tough, regenerated cellulose films featuring tightly stacked and long-range aligned cellulose nanofibers self-assembled from cellulose solution in alkali/urea aqueous systems. The well-aligned nanofibers were generated by directionally controlling the aggregation of cellulose chains in the hydrogel state using a preorientation-assisted dual cross-linking approach; i.e., a physical cross-linking was rapidly introduced to permanently reserve the temporarily aligned nanostructure generated by preorienting the covalent cross-linked gels. After a structural densification in air-drying of hydrogel, high strength was achieved, and more importantly, a record-high toughness (41.1 MJ m-3) in anisotropic nanofibers-structured cellulose films (ACFs) was reached. Moreover, the densely packed and well-aligned cellulose nanofibers significantly decreased the interstices in the films to avoid light scattering, granting ACFs with high optical clarity (91%), low haze (<3%), and birefringence behaviors. This facile and high-efficiency strategy might be very scalable in fabricating high-strength, super tough, and clear cellulose films for emerging biodegradable next-generation packaging, flexible electronic, and optoelectronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Ye
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430072 , China
- School of Textile Materials and Engineering , Wuyi University , Jiangmen 529020 , China
| | - Xiaojuan Lei
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430072 , China
| | - Tian Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Maryland , College Park , Maryland 20742 , United States
| | - Qiaoyun Cheng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430072 , China
| | - Chunyu Chang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430072 , China
| | - Liangbing Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Maryland , College Park , Maryland 20742 , United States
| | - Lina Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430072 , China
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45
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Abstract
Silk is an important biopolymer for (bio)medical applications because of its unique and highly versatile structure and its robust clinical track record in human medicine. Silk can be processed into many material formats, including physically and chemically cross-linked hydrogels that have almost limitless applications ranging from tissue engineering to biomedical imaging and sensing. This concise review provides a detailed background of silk hydrogels, including silk structure-function relationships, biocompatibility and biodegradation, and it explores recent developments in silk hydrogel utilization, with specific reference to drug and cell delivery. We address common pitfalls and misconceptions while identifying emerging opportunities, including 3D printing.
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46
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Asakura T, Tanaka T, Tanaka R. Advanced Silk Fibroin Biomaterials and Application to Small-Diameter Silk Vascular Grafts. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:5561-5577. [PMID: 33405687 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As the incidences of cardiovascular diseases have been on the rise in recent years, the need for small-diameter artificial vascular grafts is increasing globally. Although synthetic polymers such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene or poly(ethylene terephthalate) have been successfully used for artificial vascular grafts ≥6 mm in diameter, they fail at smaller diameters (<6 mm) due to thrombus formation and intimal hyperplasia. Thus, development of vascular grafts for small diameter vessel replacement that are <6 mm in diameter remains a major clinical challenge. Silk fibroin (SF) from Bombyx mori silkworm is well-known as an excellent textile and also has been used as suture material in surgery for more than 2000 years. Many attempts to develop small-diameter SF vascular grafts with <6 mm in diameter have been reported. Here, research and development in small-diameter vascular grafts with SF are reviewed as follows: (1) the heterogeneous structure of SF fiber (Silk II), including the packing arrangements and type II β-turn structure of SF (Silk I*) before spinning; (2) SF modified by transgenic silkworm, which is more suitable for vascular grafts; (3) preparation of small-diameter SF vascular grafts; (4) characterization of SF in the hydrated state, including dynamics of water molecules by nuclear magnetic resonance; and (5) evaluation of the SF grafts by in vivo implantation experiment. According to the findings, SF is a promising material for small-diameter vascular graft development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Asakura
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Takashi Tanaka
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Ryo Tanaka
- Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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47
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Xu L, Weatherbee-Martin N, Liu XQ, Rainey JK. Recombinant Silk Fiber Properties Correlate to Prefibrillar Self-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1805294. [PMID: 30756524 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201805294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spider silks are desirable materials with mechanical properties superior to most synthetic materials coupled with biodegradability and biocompatibility. In order to replicate natural silk properties using recombinant spider silk proteins (spidroins) and wet-spinning methods, the focus to date has typically been on modifying protein sequence, protein size, and spinning conditions. Here, an alternative approach is demonstrated. Namely, using the same ≈57 kDa recombinant aciniform silk protein with a consistent wet-spinning protocol, fiber mechanical properties are shown to significantly differ as a function of the solvent used to dissolve the protein at high concentration (the "spinning dope" solution). A fluorinated acid/alcohol/water dope leads to drastic improvement in fibrillar extensibility and, correspondingly, toughness compared to fibers produced using a previously developed fluorinated alcohol/water dope. To understand the underlying cause for these mechanical differences, morphology and structure of the two classes of silk fiber are compared, with features tracing back to dope-state protein structuring and preassembly. Specifically, distinct classes of spidroin nanoparticles appear to form in each dope prior to fiber spinning and these preassembled states are, in turn, linked to fiber morphology, structure, and mechanical properties. Tailoring of dope-state spidroin nanoparticle assembly, thus, appears a promising strategy to modulate fibrillar silk properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nathan Weatherbee-Martin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Xiang-Qin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jan K Rainey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
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48
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Wirth M, Wolff JO, Appel E, Gorb SN. Ultrastructure of spider thread anchorages. J Morphol 2019; 280:534-543. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Wirth
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics; Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 9; Kiel Germany
| | - Jonas O. Wolff
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics; Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 9; Kiel Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney Australia
| | - Esther Appel
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics; Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 9; Kiel Germany
| | - Stanislav N. Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics; Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 9; Kiel Germany
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49
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Hu Y, Yu J, Liu L, Fan Y. Preparation of natural amphoteric silk nanofibers by acid hydrolysis. J Mater Chem B 2019; 7:1450-1459. [DOI: 10.1039/c8tb03005g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Direct extraction of silk nanofibers (SNs) from natural silk fibers was developed via a low-intensity ultrasonic-assisted sulfuric acid hydrolysis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlei Hu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals
- College of Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing Forestry University
- Nanjing 210037
| | - Juan Yu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals
- College of Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing Forestry University
- Nanjing 210037
| | - Liang Liu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals
- College of Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing Forestry University
- Nanjing 210037
| | - Yimin Fan
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuel and Chemicals
- College of Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing Forestry University
- Nanjing 210037
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50
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Niu Q, Peng Q, Lu L, Fan S, Shao H, Zhang H, Wu R, Hsiao BS, Zhang Y. Single Molecular Layer of Silk Nanoribbon as Potential Basic Building Block of Silk Materials. ACS NANO 2018; 12:11860-11870. [PMID: 30407791 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b03943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, nascent silk nanoribbons (SNRs) with an average thickness of 0.4 nm were extracted from natural silkworm silk by partially dissolving degummed silk (DS) in sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/urea solution at -12 °C. In this gentle treatment, the solvent could not destroy the nanofibrillar structure completely, but the chosen conditions would influence the dimensions of resulting SNRs. Molecular dynamics simulations of silk models indicated that the potential of mean force required to break hydrogen bonds between silk fibroin chains was 40% larger than that of van der Waals interactions between β-sheet layers, allowing the exfoliating treatment. It was found that the resulting SNRs contained a single β-sheet layer and amorphous silk fibroin molecules, which could be considered as the basic building block of DS consisting of hierarchical structures. The demonstrated technique for extracting ultrathin SNRs having the height of a single β-sheet layer may provide a useful pathway for creating stronger and tougher silk-based materials and/or adding functionality and durability in materials for various applications. The hierarchical structure model based on SNRs may afford more insight into the structure and property relationship of fabricating silk-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Niu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Qingfa Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Li Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Suna Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Huili Shao
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Huihui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Rongliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
| | - Benjamin S Hsiao
- Department of Chemistry , Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , New York 11794-3400 , United States
| | - Yaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-Dimension Materials , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University , Shanghai , 201620 , China
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