Combining Living Microorganisms with Regenerated Silk Provides Nanofibril-Based Thin Films with Heat-Responsive Wrinkled States for Smart Food Packaging.

ABSTRACT: Regenerated silk (RS) is a protein-based "biopolymer" that enables the design of new materials; here, we called "bionic" the process of regenerated silk production by a fermentation-assisted method. Based on yeast's fermentation, here we produced a living hybrid composite made of regenerated silk nanofibrils and a single-cell fungi, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract, by fermentation of such microorganisms at room temperature in a dissolution bath of silkworm silk fibers. The fermentation-based processing enhances the beta-sheet content of the RS, corresponding to a reduction in water permeability and CO₂ diffusion through RS/yeast thin films enabling the fabrication of a mechanically robust film that enhances food storage durability. Finally, a transfer print method, which consist

SUBMITTER: Valentini L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6071141 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature