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Electro-Biofabrication. Coupling Electrochemical and Biomolecular Methods to Create Functional Bio-Based Hydrogels
Yi Liu1, Eunkyoung Kim1, Miao Lei2
1Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research and Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
Biomacromolecules
|May 8, 2023
Summary
Electro-biofabrication combines electronic and biological methods to create advanced hydrogel films from biopolymers. This technique precisely controls microstructure and enables the development of living materials for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Chitosan electrodeposition and tyrosinase-mediated protein grafting were established 20 years ago.
- Early work laid the foundation for using electronic inputs with biological methods for biopolymer fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report progress on coupling electronic inputs with advanced biological methods for biopolymer hydrogel film fabrication.
- To explore the generalization of chitosan electrodeposition to other biopolymers and the control of microstructure.
- To review advancements in conferring function to electrodeposited films using protein engineering and alternative conjugation methods.
Main Methods:
- Electrodeposition of various biological polymers (proteins, polysaccharides) using low voltage electrical inputs.
- Protein engineering for genetically fused assembly tags to attach functional proteins.
- Utilizing enzymes (transglutaminase), metal chelation, and oxidative mechanisms for biopolymer functionalization.
Main Results:
- Established mechanisms for electrodeposition of diverse biopolymers, enabling precise microstructure control.
- Developed advanced biotechnological methods for protein attachment, expanding functionalization strategies.
- Identified opportunities in using electrochemical cues for assembly, understanding biopolymer self-assembly, and fabricating living materials.
Conclusions:
- Electro-biofabrication is an emerging additive manufacturing method for life science applications.
- This technique bridges biological and technological fields, enabling new material systems.
- Applications span biosensing, medical materials, and bioelectronics.
