Controllable Fibrillization Reinforces Genetically Engineered Rubberlike Protein Hydrogels.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Protein Engineering

Background:

• Protein hydrogels offer unique stretchability and resilience but lack mechanical strength.
• Reinforcing these hydrogels without compromising elasticity remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fibrillization strategy for reinforcing protein hydrogels.
• To create robust, rubberlike biomaterials with enhanced mechanical properties.

Main Methods:

• Engineered protein copolymers with photo-cross-linkable resilin-like and fibrillizable silklike blocks.
• Photochemical cross-linking of copolymers with varying silk-to-resilin ratios.
• Inducing supramolecular fibrillization for material reinforcement.

Main Results:

• Increased silk-to-resilin ratio enhanced hydrogel mechanical properties.
• Controllable fibrillization at the supramolecular level led to reinforced hydrogels.
• Reinforced hydrogels demonstrated improved performance in piezoresistive sensors.

Conclusions:

• The fibrillization strategy effectively reinforces protein hydrogels while maintaining rubberlike properties.
• This approach offers a pathway to robust biomaterials for diverse applications.
• The reinforced hydrogels show promise for advanced sensor technologies.