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Filamentous Phages as Building Blocks for Bioactive Hydrogels.
Kyle Jackson1, Azadeh Peivandi1, Meea Fogal1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada.
ACS Applied Bio Materials
|January 11, 2022
Summary
Filamentous phages (bacterial viruses) are versatile bionanofilaments engineered for precise surface chemistry. These self-propagating nanofilaments form advanced hydrogels for biomedical applications and biosensing.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Filamentous phages are semiflexible proteinous nanofilaments with controllable surface chemistry.
- Their self-propagation and replication yield identical nanofilaments, surpassing synthetic nanoparticles.
- High concentrations lead to liquid crystalline structures and hierarchical self-assembly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review filamentous phage hydrogels.
- To discuss their physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological properties.
- To explore current applications, limitations, and future outlook.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on filamentous phage hydrogels.
- Analysis of properties and applications.
- Compilation of design parameters for bioengineers and chemists.
Main Results:
- Filamentous phage hydrogels exhibit tunable properties for diverse applications.
- Hierarchically ordered structures can be formed via cross-linking.
- These bionanomaterials offer advantages over synthetic alternatives.
Conclusions:
- Filamentous phage hydrogels are promising bioactive materials for biomedical and sensing applications.
- Further research can optimize their design and application through provided parameters.
- These bionanofilaments represent a powerful tool for developing smart materials.
