Using a self-assembly of recombinant spidroins, biomimetic spinning dopes are produced and wet-spun into fibers. Upon varying the molecular design of the underlying recombinant spidroins, the influence of the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains, as well as the size of the repetitive core domain on fiber mechanics, is determined. Fiber toughness upon biomimetic processing equals and even slightly exceeds that of natural ones.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201404234 | DOI Listing |
Plant J
January 2025
Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
Spider silk, especially dragline silk from golden silk spiders (Trichonephila clavipes), is an excellent natural material with remarkable mechanical properties. Many studies have focused on the use of plants as biofactories for the production of recombinant spider silk. However, the effects of this material on the mechanical properties or physiology of transgenic plants remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China. Electronic address:
Orb-weaver spiders utilize morphologically differentiated abdominal glands to produce up to seven types of silks throughout their life cycles. Tubuliform silk is unique as it serves to protect developing embryos and hatchlings. However, our current understanding of the relationship between structure and function of tubuliform silk protein remains limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Texture Stud
February 2025
Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan.
The increasing demand for protein-rich, plant-based foods has driven the development of meat analogs that closely mimic the texture and mouthfeel of animal meat. While plant-based fibrils and electrospun silk fibroin fibers have been explored for texture enhancement and scaffolding in both meat analogs and cell-based meats, the use of wet-spun fibroin protein fibers as a food ingredient remains underexplored. This study investigates the potential of wet-spun recombinant fibroin fibers to enhance the textural properties of meat analogs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
November 2024
College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Spider silk is part of a special class of natural protein fibers that have high strength and toughness: these materials have excellent comprehensive properties that are not found in other natural fibers (including silk) or most synthetic fibers. Spider egg case filaments have good hardness, can resist water, can protect spider eggs from external threats, have a significantly high initial modulus and high moisture absorption rate, and are expected to be used as a new generation of environmentally friendly natural polymer fibers and biomaterials. However, spiders are predatory and difficult to rear in large numbers, and it is also difficult to obtain spider egg case filaments in large quantities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Mater
December 2024
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
The ability to deliver protein therapeutics in a minimally invasive, safe, and sustained manner, without resorting to viral delivery systems, will be crucial for treating a wide range of chronic injuries and diseases. Among these challenges, achieving axon regeneration and functional recovery post-injury or disease in the central nervous system remains elusive to most clinical interventions, constantly calling for innovative solutions. Here, a thermally responsive hydrogel system utilizing recombinant spider silk protein (spidroin) is developed.
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