Shear-Induced Structuring for Multiple Parallel Gel Filaments Obtained from Casein-Alginate Hybrids.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Aqueous two-phase separation (ATPS) is a technique used to separate components in aqueous solutions.
• Protein-polysaccharide interactions are crucial for developing novel biomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating protein-polysaccharide hybrid gel filaments.
• To investigate the formation of alginate-casein assemblies and their transformation into fibrous structures.

Main Methods:

• Inducing ATPS by adding sodium alginate to sodium caseinate solution.
• Utilizing shear forces in a co-flow double tube to deform alginate-casein assemblies.
• Cross-linking the assemblies with Ca2+ to form gel filaments.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of hundreds of parallel protein-polysaccharide hybrid gel filaments (1-10 μm diameter).
• Alginate-casein assemblies formed through ATPS and were elongated by shear.
• Ca2+ cross-linking resulted in bundled gel fibrils with a biomimetic structure.

Conclusions:

• The study presents an innovative technique for creating biomimetic gel filaments without enzymatic cross-linking or multihole nozzles.
• These gel filaments have potential applications in biomimetic chemistry, biodegradable scaffolds for cell engineering, and as carriers for active substances or drugs.