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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Microfluidic Dry-spinning and Characterization of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Fibers
Published on: September 4, 2017
Simultaneous structuring and mineralization of silk fibroin scaffolds
Michaela Rödel1, Katrin Baumann1, Jürgen Groll1
1Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Silk fibroin is commonly used as scaffold material for tissue engineering applications. In combination with a mineralization with different calcium phosphate phases, it can also be applied as material for bone regeneration. Here, we present a study which was performed to produce mineralized silk fibroin scaffolds with controlled macroporosity. In contrast to former studies, our approach focused on a simultaneous gelation and mineralization of silk fibroin by immersion of frozen silk fibroin monoliths in acidic calcium phosphate solutions. This was achieved by thawing frozen silk fibroin monoliths in acidic calcium phosphate solution, leading to the precipitation of monocalcium phosphate within the silk fibroin matrix. In the second approach, a conversion of incorporated β-tricalcium phosphate particles into brushite was successfully achieved. Furthermore, a controlled cryostructuring process of silk fibroin scaffolds was carried out leading to the formation of parallel-oriented pores with diameters of 30-50 µm.
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