Publications by authors named "Marina Slawinski"
Article Synopsis
- The text discusses the development of protein-based hydrogels designed to mimic biological stiffness or function as bioimplants, emphasizing their potential in the biomaterials field.
- A method using varying concentrations of acetic acid (AA) is introduced to control nanoscale interactions during hydrogel synthesis, effectively adjusting their mechanical properties without impacting protein concentration.
- The approach was demonstrated using bovine serum albumin (BSA), allowing for hydrogels with stiffness ranging from 2 to 35 kPa, which could enhance the versatility of tunable protein-based hydrogels for future applications.
Hydrogels made from globular proteins cross-linked covalently into a stable network are becoming an important type of biomaterial, with applications in artificial tissue design and cell culture scaffolds, and represent a promising system to study the mechanical and biochemical unfolding of proteins in crowded environments. Due to the small size of the globular protein domains, typically 2-5 nm, the primary network allows for a limited transfer of protein molecules and prevents the passing of particles and aggregates with dimensions over 100 nm. Here, we demonstrate a method to produce protein materials with micrometer-sized pores and increased permeability.
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- Smart materials like protein hydrogels can change shape in response to stimuli, which could improve fields like medicine and robotics.
- This study presents a method to program these hydrogels, made from serum albumin, to shift shapes by altering their stiffness using metal cations (Zn or Cu).
- The programmed hydrogels can return to their original shape when the cations dissipate, showcasing their potential use as actuators in various applications.