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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Silk Film Culture System for in vitro Analysis and Biomaterial Design
Published on: April 24, 2012
Silk fibroin wetting stability film induced by polyamide-amine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) for intelligent sensing system
Yifan Zhang1, Xin Luo1, Xinning Mo1
1Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China.
Abstract:
Protein materials gain new functions and applicability through redesigns in protein structure and engineering confer. However, the application and development of proteins for use in flexible devices that fit in flexible devices that fit the surface of human skin is hindered by their poor wet stability. Here, we described the design of wet-stable materials based on the reconstruction of silk fibroin (SF). The combination of polyamide-amine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) was used as a traction rope to bring SF molecular chains closer to each other, to facilitate the self-assembly of SF through branching and lengthening of molecular chains, and change its crystalline structure. SF/PAE composite films that exhibited huge improvement in ductility and wet stability were combined with flexible SF substrates via patterning and ion sputtering to prepare flexible sensors. In addition, the SF/PAE sensing system equipped with a microprocessor and Bluetooth module enabled the real-time remote acquisition of human health signals such as vocal cords, joints, pulse and meridians. This reconfiguration of the SF structure will advance the systematic exploration of protein structures and the development of protein materials for intelligent device applications.

