Effect of microgravity, temperature, and concentration on fibrin and collagen assembly

In purified form collagen and fibrin can be processed into gel-like matrices of interconnecting fibers. The microscopic structure of materials produced from these macromolecules is critical to their utility as biomaterials. Varying the conditions of the assembly environment allows for the production of a wide range of morphologies. In this study, changes in gravity, temperature, and concentration were examined. Contrary to protein crystal growth studies which indicate substantial increases in organization and size in microgravity, the gravitational environment had no repeatable effect on collagen and fibrin fiber diameters and matrix porosity. However, fibrin gels formed in microgravity appeared more homogeneous than ground samples. Changes in temperature and concentration of both protein and buffer had substantial effects on fiber diameters and material porosity for both collagen and fibrin. Temperature experiments were performed over the range 23.8 to 39 degrees C for fibrin and 22 to 33 degrees C for collagen. Thrombin concentration was varied from 0.02 to 0.10 units/ml for fibrin experiments and buffer concentration was varied by means of a dialysis membrane for collagen experiments. Consequently, the temperature and concentration controls developed for flight experiments are being considered for their potential in developing fibrin and collagen based materials with well-defined microscopic structures. The increased homogeneity of fibrin gels produced in microgravity suggests the possibility of using this environment for the production of optimal biomaterials.