Elastin-like polypeptides: biomedical applications of tunable biopolymers
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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Non-chromatographic Purification of Recombinant Elastin-like Polypeptides and their Fusions with Peptides and Proteins from Escherichia coli
Published on: June 9, 2014
Sarah R MacEwan1, Ashutosh Chilkoti
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Abstract:
Artificial repetitive polypeptides have grown in popularity as a bioinspired alternative to synthetic polymers. The genetically encoded synthesis, monodispersity, potential lack of toxicity, and biocompatibility are attractive features of these biopolymers for biological applications. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are one such class of biopolymers that are of particular interest because of their "smart"-stimuli responsive-properties. Herein, we discuss the genetically encoded design and recombinant synthesis of ELPs that enable precise control of their physicochemical properties and which have led to a wide range of biomedical applications of these biopolymers in the last decade.
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