Mussel Foot-Inspired Multifunctional Engineered Protein Adhesive with Enhanced Antibacterial Properties

Protein materials, valued for their good biocompatibility, versatility, and designability, are sought as innovative adhesives to address the environmental and health hazards caused by traditional adhesives. Herein, inspired by mussel foot protein 5 and elastin, a novel adhesive protein, M5EP, was designed and efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). It could be activated into mature protein M5EPm to obtain adsorption and adhesion capabilities on various interfaces via tyrosinase catalysis, exhibiting adhesion strengths exceeding 2 MPa under dry conditions and 0.2 MPa under humid conditions. Meanwhile, M5EP and M5EPm both had significant antibacterial activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, a favorable in vitro platelet coagulation property and biocompatibility of this bioinspired adhesive have been confirmed, suggesting its promising potential both within industrial sectors and in the realm of biomedical applications.