Enhancing Silk Fibroin Hydrogel Mechanical Properties through Biomimetic Mineralization by Self-Assembled Catalytic Complexes.

ABSTRACT: Protein-based framework hydrogels often exhibit limitations in mechanical strength and biocompatibility, particularly in applications related to medicine, industry, and environmental engineering. To overcome these challenges, the incorporation of natural biological macromolecules has emerged as an effective strategy for enhancing the hydrogel performance. Specifically, mimicking the natural biomineralization process enables the fabrication of tough hydrogels through biomimetic calcium deposition. In this study, we developed a mechanically robust hydrogel by photopolymerizing methacrylated silk fibroin and embedding a recombinant fusion protein, engineered by integrating a chitin-binding domain into Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase. This fusion protein was successfully immobilized with

SUBMITTER: Song W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12147950 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature