Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Regeneration and Repair01:19

Overview of Regeneration and Repair

4.9K
Regeneration and repair processes are critical in healing damages caused by injury, disease, and aging. In regeneration, the damaged tissue is entirely replaced with new growth that restores the original architecture and function. In contrast, tissue repair usually results in a fixed tissue architecture involving scar formation. Scars generally do not reestablish tissue function and may also exhibit structural abnormalities at the injury site.
Regeneration
All animals have varying degrees of...
4.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bioinspired milliscale near-boundary undulatory motion for fluid transport and adhesive locomotion.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Fish-diversity-inspired multiple soft millirobot system with morphology-encoded selective control.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Genetically engineered human cell-based microrobots for selective cancer cell death.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Wireless electrostimulation implants enable sphincter neuromuscular improvement toward mixed urinary incontinence.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Microrobotic copper-rich electrochemical interfacing for targeted cancer theranostics in the gut.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Photochemical Fuel Carrier Molecules for Robotic Embodied Energy.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins
08:04

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

Published on: January 26, 2019

7.2K

Biosynthetic self-healing materials for soft machines.

Abdon Pena-Francesch1, Huihun Jung2, Melik C Demirel3

  • 1Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.

Nature Materials
|July 29, 2020
PubMed
Summary

New synthetic proteins offer rapid, high-strength self-healing for soft robots and protective equipment. These advanced materials repair damage in seconds, overcoming limitations of current self-healing technologies.

More Related Videos

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes
08:24

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

9.2K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins
08:04

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

Published on: January 26, 2019

7.2K
Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes
08:24

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

9.2K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.6K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Robotics
  • Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

  • Soft actuators and robots require self-healing materials for durability in real-world applications.
  • Existing self-healing materials exhibit limitations such as low healing strength (<1 MPa) and slow healing times (hours).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop high-strength synthetic proteins capable of rapid self-healing for soft robotics and personal protective equipment.
  • To overcome the limitations of current self-healing materials regarding strength and speed.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic optimization of synthetic protein nanostructure and network morphology.
  • Utilizing local heating to trigger rapid self-healing of micro- and macro-scale damage.

Main Results:

  • Achieved programmable healing strengths of 2-23 MPa after only 1 second of healing.
  • Demonstrated self-healing capabilities that surpass natural and synthetic soft materials by several orders of magnitude.

Conclusions:

  • Introduced high-strength synthetic proteins with unprecedented rapid self-healing properties.
  • These materials present new opportunities for bioinspired design in soft robotics and protective equipment.