Bioinspired Genetic and Chemical Engineering of Protein Hydrogels for Programable Multi-Responsive Actuation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Soft Robotics
• Protein Engineering

Background:

• Protein hydrogels are crucial for biomedical soft robotics due to their tunable properties.
• Integrating multiple stimuli-responsive features into biocompatible actuators remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile approach for creating protein hydrogel actuators with programmable complex spatial deformation.
• To synergistically combine genetic and chemical engineering for advanced hydrogel actuator design.

Main Methods:

• Genetically engineered silk-elastin-like proteins (SELPs) were designed with stimuli-responsive motifs and enzymatic crosslinking sites using simulation-guided strategies.
• Chemical modifications, specifically diazonium coupling chemistry, were employed to functionalize SELPs and create patterned hydrogels.
• The resulting SELP hydrogels were tested for their responsive actuation under various external stimuli.

Main Results:

• The engineered SELP hydrogels demonstrated programmable complex actuations, including controllable bending, buckling, and intricate deformations.
• The hydrogels responded predictably to external stimuli such as temperature, ionic strength, and pH.
• The combined genetic and chemical engineering approach allowed for tailored material properties and anisotropy.

Conclusions:

• This work presents a predictable, tunable, and sustainable method for fabricating intelligent soft actuators using protein hydrogels.
• The developed approach has significant implications for advancing biomedical materials and biorobotics.
• The synergistic combination of genetic and chemical engineering offers a powerful platform for designing sophisticated biomimetic actuators.