Next-generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts.

ABSTRACT: Extreme energy-dissipating materials are essential for a range of applications. The military and police force require ballistic armour to ensure the safety of their personnel, while the aerospace industry requires materials that enable the capture, preservation and study of hypervelocity projectiles. However, current industry standards display at least one inherent limitation, such as weight, breathability, stiffness, durability and failure to preserve captured projectiles. To resolve these limitations, we have turned to nature, using proteins that have evolved over millennia to enable effective energy dissipation. Specifically, a recombinant form of the mechanosensitive protein talin was incorporated into a monomeric unit and crosslinked, resulting in a talin shock-absorbing material (TSA

SUBMITTER: Doolan JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10501900 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature