Modulating the Viscoelastic Properties of Covalently Crosslinked Protein Hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Protein engineering allows for the programming of specific building blocks to form functional and novel materials with customisable physical properties suitable for tailored engineering applications. We have successfully designed and programmed engineered proteins to form covalent molecular networks with defined physical characteristics. Our hydrogel design incorporates the SpyTag (ST) peptide and SpyCatcher (SC) protein that spontaneously form covalent crosslinks upon mixing. This genetically encodable chemistry allowed us to easily incorporate two stiff and rod-like recombinant proteins in the hydrogels and modulate the resulting viscoelastic properties. We demonstrated how differences in the composition of the microscopic building blocks change the macroscopic viscoelastic properties of

SUBMITTER: Boni R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10298573 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature